Mia McKenna-Bruce

Mia Sasha McKenna-Bruce (born 3 July 1997) is an English actress. As a teenager, she played Tee Taylor in the Tracy Beaker franchise (2010–2018). For her performance in the film How to Have Sex, she won a British Independent Film Award, the BAFTA Rising Star Award and was nominated for the European Film Award for Best Actress. Her other films include Persuasion (2022) and The Fence (2025).

On television, McKenna-Bruce also appeared in the iPlayer series Get Even (2020) and the Peacock series Vampire Academy (2022), and she starred in the Netflix series Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (2026) as Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent.

Early life McKenna-Bruce was born in 1997 and was raised in Chislehurst, Bromley.

Career McKenna-Bruce's first role was a ballet girl in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical. Her first TV role was the minor role of Ester, Small Dark Places. She then starred in Holby City as Abi Taylor for one episode. McKenna-Bruce then appeared in EastEnders as Penny Branning. She had a two-episode guest stint in January 2008 and then a three-episode guest stint in April 2008. McKenna-Bruce next starred in The Bill in 2009 as Keira Curtis for one episode. She then moved on to Doctors for three episodes.

Later in 2009, McKenna-Bruce starred in her first film role, The Fourth Kind, playing Ashley Tyler. Her next role was as main character Tee Taylor in Tracy Beaker Returns from 2010 to 2012. In 2011, McKenna-Bruce appeared in the TV series Spy for one episode, and in five episodes of The Tracy Beaker Survival Guide. McKenna-Bruce reprised the role of Tee Taylor from 2013 until 2016 (and again as a guest in 2017 and 2018) in the spin-off series The Dumping Ground. McKenna-Bruce played Tee Taylor in a The Dumping Ground spin-off, The Dumping Ground: I'm..., a webisode series. She guest starred in another episode of Holby City as Asia Lucas, as well as guest starring in BBC Three's Josh. McKenna-Bruce was cast as the lead in a feature film, The Rebels. In 2020, she began portraying the role of Bree Deringer on the iPlayer teen thriller series Get Even. In 2021, she appeared in an episode of Vera, later being cast in the Netflix film Persuasion. In August of that same year, she was cast as Mia Karp in the PeacockTV fantasy series Vampire Academy.

In 2021, McKenna-Bruce successfully auditioned for the role of Tara in Molly Manning Walker's film How to Have Sex. Her performance as an inexperienced schoolgirl grappling with issues of consent while on holiday in Crete was widely praised and led to her being identified as a Screen Star of Tomorrow by Screen Daily. She was also nominated for Best European Actress at the 2023 European Film Awards, and won Best Breakthrough Performer of the Year at the 2023 London Film Critics Circle Awards. She also won the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 77th British Academy Film Awards.

McKenna-Bruce stars in the Netflix series The Seven Dials Mystery in the role of Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent. In 2025, it was announced that she would be playing Maureen Starkey in the upcoming series of Beatles biographical films, set for release in 2028.

Personal life In 2024, McKenna-Bruce married actor Tom Leach. Their son was born in August 2023.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2009 The Fourth Kind Ashley Tyler 2021 Smudged Smile Zoe Last Train to Christmas Linda 2022 Persuasion Mary Musgrove How to Have Sex Tara 2024 Sister Wives Galilee Short film Does That Make Me a Woman? Performer Short film 2025 The Fence Leonier 2027 Post-production 2028 Maureen Starkey Filming

Television Year Title Role Notes 2008 Small Dark Places Ester 1 episode 2016 The Dumping Ground: I'm... 2017 Holby City Asia Lucas Episode: "Growing Pains" The Witcher Marilka Episode: "The End's Beginning" 2021 Vera Maya Draper 1 episode 2026 Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent Main role The LadyJane AndrewsMain cast, 4 episodes

Video games Year Title Role 2011 Tracy Beaker Returns: You Choose Tee Taylor 2013–2014 The Dumping Ground Game 2015 The Dumping Ground: You're the Boss

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2023 British Independent Film Awards Best Lead Performance How to Have Sex Breakthrough Performance 2023 European Film Awards European Actress 2024 London Film Critics' Circle Breakthrough Performer of the Year 2024 British Academy Film Awards BAFTA Rising Star Award