Max Minghella is an English actor. He was born in Hampstead, London, the son of Academy Award-winning British director Anthony Minghella and Carolyn Choa, a Hong Kong-born Chinese choreographer. Minghella spent time on his father's film sets while growing up, of which he has "fond memories", and has said that he has felt "no pressure" by his father to succeed in the entertainment industry. He went to St Anthony's preparatory school and University College School.

Minghella was inspired to become an actor during his late teenage years, after seeing a production of the play This is Our Youth at London's West End; he subsequently dropped out of the University College School to pursue an acting career, and attended the National Youth Theatre.

Although Minghella had a minor, uncredited appearance in his father's film, Cold Mountain, his first professional role was in Bee Season, playing the son of a dysfunctional Jewish American family. The film was released in November 2005 to mostly mixed reviews and low box office, grossing only $1 million in its limited release, although some critics remarked that Minghella was "a talented young actor to watch, delivering a strong performance".

Minghella had a minor role in the political thriller Syriana, which was also released in November 2005, playing the son of George Clooney's CIA agent character. In 2006, he starred in the Daniel Clowes adaptation Art School Confidential, a quirky comedy directed by Terry Zwigoff and co-starring Sophia Myles and John Malkovich.

His most recent film, which premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 10, 2007, is Elvis and Anabelle, a dark romantic comedy in which he plays a mortician's son; the film co-stars Blake Livelyand Mary Steenburgen. Minghella has described it as "a really sweet film". He was to play Art Bechstein in the film version of writer Michael Chabon's novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, but eventually dropped out of the project.

In March 2008 it was announced that Minghella would star opposite Rachel Weiszin Alejandro Amenábar's second English-language film entitled Agora. It is reported that the film is set in fourth century Egypt and revolves around Weisz' character Hypatia of Alexandria.

Minghella attends Columbia University, which he considers his "first priority", as part of the class of 2009. He typically works on films only during his summer break. He is currently dating MisShapes DJ Leigh Lezarkand living with NYU film student Charles 'Cha' Philipp, another English boy who also grew up in Hampstead, London.