Purcell was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire (now Merseyside), England. He is the son of Phil Myrtvedt and Maureen (née Clarke) Purcell. His mother was Irish and his father was of Norwegian and English descent. In 1972, he and his family moved to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, initially living in Bondi before settling in Penrith.[7] He attended St Joseph's Kingswood, St Finbar's Glenbrook Primary School and Blaxland High School, as well as St Dominic's College and McCarthy Catholic College, Emu Plains.[8]
Purcell was married to Rebecca Williamson from 1998 until 2008, during which time the couple had four children.[11]
In 2011, Purcell started dating former 90210 actress AnnaLynne McCord; in 2014, the couple announced an amicable split, though they rekindled their romance a year later. McCord told People Magazine she came back into his life as a friend when the actor was diagnosed with skin cancer, but the relationship soon turned romantic again.[12] In January 2018, McCord ended the relationship.[13] However, on 25 September 2020, Purcell confirmed on Instagram that they had rekindled their relationship.[14]
In November 2022, he started dating Tish Cyrus, who is the mother of Brandi, Trace, Noah, and Miley Cyrus.[15] The couple publicly announced their engagement via a post on Instagram in April 2023.[16] They married in August 2023 in Malibu, California.[17]
On 1 June 2016, Purcell suffered severe injuries on set in Morocco, after a misplaced iron bar used as a Prison Break season 5 set piece fell on his head. He was immediately airlifted from Ouarzazate to Casablanca, where he received emergency treatment for nasal fractures and various other injuries.[18][19][20]