ITV is about to showcase Mia McKenna-Bruce’s biggest role yet in The Lady, a new drama following Jane Andrews, Sarah Ferguson’s convicted ex-dresser.
The four-part series “charts the rise and fall of former royal dresser Jane Andrews, whose rags to riches fairy tale fell apart when she was convicted of murder”, according to the synopsis.
Natalie Dormer, who famously played Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, portrays Fergie. The cast also includes Philip Glenister, Ed Speelers, and Gavin and Stacey’s Laura Aikman.
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For McKenna-Bruce, The Lady marks another major lead role in an already packed career. And chances are, you have seen her on screen more times than you might realise.
Mia McKenna-Bruce’s career before Seven Dials
Mia McKenna-Bruce began acting in 2007, appearing as a ballet girl in the West End production of Billy Elliot.
Her television debut followed in 2008, starting with a role in Small Dark Places before a one-off appearance in Holby City.
She later appeared in EastEnders as Penny Branning, the daughter of Jack and Selina, a role now played by Kitty Castledine.
Further credits followed in The Bill and Doctors, but her breakthrough came in 2012 with Tracy Beaker Returns.
McKenna-Bruce played Tee Taylor, a role she carried over into The Dumping Ground spin-off. She remained part of the show for nine years, later describing the experience as some of the “best years” of her life.
“She was very similar to me, so everything Tee was learning and going through, it felt as though I was too,” she told the Exit 6 Film Festival.
The role that earned Mia McKenna-Bruce a BAFTA
Since leaving The Dumping Ground, McKenna-Bruce has barely slowed down. Her credits include the BBC thriller Get Even, appearances in The Witcher and Vera, and a role in Netflix’s Persuasion.
Her most acclaimed performance arrived in 2023 with How to Have Sex, a hard-hitting independent film that quickly drew international attention.
She played Tara, a 16-year-old on holiday in Malia who feels intense pressure to lose her virginity. The film was widely praised, earning a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score and multiple awards, including recognition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Later that year, McKenna-Bruce was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award alongside Phoebe Dynevor, Ayo Edebiri, Jacob Elordi, and Sophie Wilde, and she took home the prize.
“I thought there was absolutely no chance of me winning that award at all,” she told Refinery29.
“It’s a huge relief and hopefully it means that I get to continue doing this for quite some time.”
Mia McKenna-Bruce played an Agatha Christie sleuth in Seven Dials?
In Seven Dials, McKenna-Bruce played Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent.
Although the series adapted Christie’s 1929 novel, Bundle was first introduced in The Secret of Chimneys several years earlier, where she played a surprisingly minor role despite a murder taking place in her home.
Seven Dials gave the character far more to do, following Bundle as she moves between her estate and London while uncovering a dangerous and far-reaching conspiracy.
Speaking to Radio Times, McKenna-Bruce said the series offers something familiar but fresh.
“It’s got the dark side to keep you hooked constantly, but it’s set in the roaring 20s and has this young, fresh, glitzy vibe,” she said.
Mia McKenna-Bruce explains why she wanted to star in The Lady
Speaking ahead of the show’s release, McKenna-Bruce explained how she “fell in love with every aspect” of the project.
She told ITV: “Getting to play a role like Jane, particularly one that’s based on a true story, I really needed to go in totally unbiased, as if i was in her mindset and not trying to second guess what she was doing or thinking, “What i would do in this situation?”
The actress “definitely” felt a great responsibility in playing a real-life person – never mind someone as notorious as Andrews.
“We were trying to tell the story with as much care as possible,” she said.
Mia McKenna-Bruce age and personal life explained
Mia McKenna-Bruce is 28 years old. She married actor Tom Leach in 2024, seven years after the pair met while working on The Rebels.
Speaking to Vogue, she described the ceremony, which took place at Brympton House in Somerset, as “perfect”.
The couple also share a son, Leo, who was born in August 2023.
What Mia McKenna-Bruce is doing next after Seven Dials
Mia McKenna-Bruce has several major projects lined up following Seven Dials.
One of the biggest is ITV drama The Lady, in which she will play former royal dresser Jane Andrews, who was jailed for murder in 2001. The series is expected to air later this year.
She is also set to appear in the upcoming Beatles biopics from Skyfall director Sam Mendes. Rather than a single film, Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of a different band member. All four are currently scheduled to be released on April 7, 2028.
McKenna-Bruce will portray Maureen Starkey, the first wife of Ringo Starr, who is being played by Barry Keoghan.
Finally, she will star opposite Taron Egerton in Everybody Wants to [bleep] Me, described as a comedy-thriller set within the world of modern dating.
Read more: The best Netflix TV shows you need to watch this month
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is available to stream on Netflix now.
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