Charlize Theron dating farm boy

Charlize Theron is dating a farmer.

The Oscar-winning actress - who has been single since splitting from long-term love Stuart Townsend in January 2010 - has reportedly started dating model-and-actor Eric Thal who owns a farm in New York.

A friend of Eric told Life and Style magazine: "The two have a lot in common. He's a farmer who grows all his own vegetables and Charlize grew up on a farm in South Africa. The two like to escape Hollywood and go to his farm in upstate New York."

Eric, 45, has starred opposite Will Smith in 'Six Degrees of Separation' and played Donald Sutherland's disaffected son in 1994 science-fiction film 'The Puppet Masters'.

Charlize, 35, dated 'Superhero Movie' actor Craig Bierko and Third Eye Blind lead singer Stephan Jenkins before embarking on a nine-year relationship with Stuart.

While the pair never married, Stuart often spoke about how he considered Charlize his wife.

He said: "I didn't do a church wedding or anything but we consider ourselves husband and wife. I don't need a certificate or the state or the church to say otherwise."

The actress has been linked to Keanu Reeves and Ryan Gosling since her relationship with the Irish actor-and-director ended.

Comments on this Story...