English actress (born 1997)
Mia McKenna-Bruce
McKenna-Bruce in 2022
Born Mia Sasha McKenna-Bruce
(1997-07-03 ) 3 July 1997 (age 27) Occupation Actress Years active 2006–present Spouse
Children 1
Mia Sasha McKenna-Bruce [ 1] (born 3 July 1997) is an English actress. She gained prominence through her role as Tee Taylor in Tracy Beaker Returns and The Dumping Ground . Her films include Persuasion and How to Have Sex . For the latter, she won a British Independent Film Award , the BAFTA Rising Star Award and was nominated for the European Film Award for Best Actress . She is set to reprise her role as Tee Taylor in The Dumping Ground ’s series 14.
On television, McKenna-Bruce also appeared in the iPlayer series Get Even and the Peacock series Vampire Academy .
Early life
McKenna-Bruce was born on 3 July 1997[ 2] in London and was raised in Chislehurst , Bromley .[ 3] [ 1] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] McKenna-Bruce took dance classes at Liz Burville Performing Arts Centre in Bexley and was a student at Belcanto London Academy.[ 4] [ 1] McKenna-Bruce also attended the Sapphire Dance Academy in Bexleyheath ,[ 7] as well as the Maidstone Grammar School for Girls .[ 8] McKenna-Bruce has two sisters, Anya and Ellis.[ 9]
Career
McKenna-Bruce's first role was a ballet girl in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical .[ 10] [ 11] Her first TV role was the minor role of Ester, Small Dark Places .[ 12] She then starred in Holby City as Abi Taylor for one episode.[ 13] McKenna-Bruce then appeared in EastEnders as Penny Branning .[ 7] She had a two episode guest in January 2008 and then another three episode guest stint in April 2008. McKenna-Bruce next starred in The Bill in 2009 as Keira Curtis for one episode.[ 14] She then moved on to Doctors for three episodes.[ 15]
Later in 2009, McKenna-Bruce starred in her first film role, The Fourth Kind , playing Ashley Tyler.[ 16] [ 17] [ 18] Her next role was as main character Tee Taylor in Tracy Beaker Returns from 2010 to 2012.[ 19] In 2011, McKenna-Bruce appeared in the TV series Spy for one episode,[ 20] 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 .[ 21] McKenna-Bruce played Tee Taylor in a The Dumping Ground spin-off, The Dumping Ground: I'm... , a webisode series.[ 22] She guest starred in another episode of Holby City as Asia Lucas, as well as guest starring in BBC Three 's Josh .[ 23] [ 24] [ 25] McKenna-Bruce was cast as the lead in a feature film, The Rebels .[ 26] In 2020, she began portraying the role of Bree Deringer on the iPlayer teen thriller series Get Even .[ 27] In 2021, she appeared in an episode of Vera ,[ 28] later being cast in the Netflix film Persuasion .[ 29] In August of that same year, she was cast as Mia Karp in the PeacockTV fantasy series Vampire Academy .[ 30]
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[ 31] [ 32] [ 33] and led to her being identified as a Screen Star of Tomorrow by Screen Daily .[ 34] She was also nominated for Best European Actress at the 2023 European Film Awards ,[ 35] and won Best Breakthrough Performer of the Year at the 2023 London Film Critics Circle Awards .[ 36] She also won the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 77th British Academy Film Awards .[ 37]
Personal life
In February 2022, McKenna-Bruce became engaged to actor Tom Leach.[ 38] In August 2023, they welcomed their first child, a son Leo.[ 39] They got married in August 2024.
Filmography
Film
Television
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 [ 51]
Awards and nominations
References
^ a b c French, Matthew (29 December 2006). "Vying for the top" . News Shopper . Retrieved 27 August 2017 .
^ "Could this day get any better🔞🙌🙌🙌 @WickedUK" . Twitter . 3 July 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "Mia McKenna-Bruce Spotlight CV" . Spotlight . 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018 .
^ a b "Mia McKenna-Bruce child star has a big connection" (PDF) . Hello Chislehurst . 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2017 .
^ "Mia McKenna-Bruce on Instagram: Happy Father's Day to our amazing daddy" . 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2017 .
^ Three Sisters on YouTube
^ a b c "Talented Sapphire Dance Academy youngsters excel at UK's biggest show" . Kent Online . 6 April 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "Mia Mckenna-Bruce" . Mandy.com . Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018 .
^ Mia McKenna-Bruce - Biography - IMDb
^ "Photos: Billy Elliot Gobbles Second Birthday Cake" . WhatsonStage. 16 May 2007. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ French, Matthew (29 December 2006). "Vying for the top" . News Shopper . Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b "Small Dark Places" . BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b "Holby City Series 10–15. Physician, Heal Thyself" . Radio Times . 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2015 .
^ a b "The Bill Series 25 – 2. Little Girl Lost – Part One" . Radio Times . 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2015 .
^ a b Muppala, Vaman (2 November 2009). "Close encounters of The Fourth Kind" . The Diamondback. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b Nelson, Rob (4 November 2009). "Review: 'The Fourth Kind' " . Variety. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b Murray, Joel (16 November 2009). "Film review: The Fourth Kind" . The Linc. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b FUCHS, CYNTHIA (6 November 2009). "The Fourth Kind" . PopMatters. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b "Going Home, Series 3, Credits" . BBC . Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b "Spy Episode 1.5 – Codename: Blood" . British Comedy Guide . 11 November 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2015 .
^ a b "The Dumping Ground: S4-E1 Lost and Found" . RadioTimes . Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "The Dumping Ground I'm...Tee" . Radio Times . Retrieved 3 February 2016 .
^ a b "Holby City – Growing Pains" . BBC . Retrieved 12 March 2017 .
^ a b "Mia McKenna-Bruce on Twitter: @anthonyy7890 im filming an episode for Holby City next week and in the new year working on @TheMarshlandsTV 🤗 Vvvv excited!!" . 3 December 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b "Josh - Series 3, Bicycles & Babies, Credirs" . BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ a b "Tornado Studios on Twitter: Very excited to have Mia McKenna Bruce on board in our upcoming feature film 'The Rebels'. #TheRebels @MiaMBruce" . 18 January 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "TV teen drama filmed in town coming to BBC iPlayer this week" . The Bolton News . Retrieved 12 February 2020 .
^ a b c d e f g Rodrigues, Charlotte (9 April 2021). "EastEnders: Penny Branning actress Mia McKenna-Bruce looks unrecognisable 13 years after leaving soap" . Entertainment Daily . Digitalbox. Retrieved 17 May 2021 .
^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (17 May 2021). " 'Persuasion': Cosmo Jarvis To Star Opposite Dakota Johnson In Netflix & MRC Jane Austen Movie; Richard E. Grant, Suki Waterhouse, Nikki Amuka-Bird & More Join" . Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2021 .
^ Keheller, Patrick (18 September 2022). "Vampire Academy's resident queer couple explains simple reason TV needs more LGBTQ+ characters" . PinkNews . Retrieved 25 April 2023 .
^ Ide, Wendy (5 November 2023). "How to Have Sex review – two stars are born with this searing study of consent" . the Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 7 November 2023 .
^ "How to Have Sex's Mia McKenna-Bruce: 'Consent is not yes or no' " . The Independent . 5 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023 .
^ Flood, Alex (26 October 2023). "Mia McKenna-Bruce on her buzzy British breakout 'How To Have Sex' " . NME . Retrieved 7 November 2023 .
^ Gant, Charles (28 June 2023). "Stars of Tomorrow 2023: Mia McKenna-Bruce (actor)" . Screen Daily . Retrieved 7 November 2023 .
^ "Main Categories Nominees 2023" . European Film Academy . Retrieved 7 November 2023 .
^ Szalai, Georg (4 February 2024). " 'Zone of Interest' Wins Best Film at London Critics' Circle Awards, Emma Stone Named Best Actress" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 4 February 2024 .
^ "Winners Announced: EE BAFTA Film Awards" . British Academy of Film and Television Arts . 18 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024 .
^ Mia McKenna-Bruce [@mia_mbruce] (24 February 2022). "When you see it...happiest girl in the world💍" – via Instagram .
^ Mia McKenna-Bruce [@mia_mbruce] (28 September 2023). "A month of our little champ. 🫶 After a rough start we are finally out and seeing the world, I couldn't be prouder to be your mama💙" – via Instagram .
^ "Our latest new short 'Watch What I Do' stars up and coming talent Isidora Fairhurst, @MiaMBruce (The Dumping Ground), Rita Bernard (Shiro's Story) and @Dani_MasDyer (winner of ITV's Love Island 2018). With the world premiere just 9 days away, the trailer drops tomorrow on #MYM!!" . Twitter . Fully Focused. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019 .
^ " 'Get Even' Star Mia McKenna-Bruce Leads Cast of 'Smudged Smile,' First Film in Mental Health Anthology (EXCLUSIVE)" . Variety . 17 February 2021.
^ Grater, Tom (6 August 2021). " 'Sex Education' Star Boards UK Feature 'Kindling'; Venice Passion For Film Award; ITV Hub Record – Global Briefs" . Deadline . Retrieved 9 July 2022 .
^ Wiseman, Andreas (21 October 2022) [21 October 2022]. "MK2 Boards Film4 & BFI-Backed 'How To Have Sex'; 'Vampire Academy' & 'Persuasion' Actress Mia McKenna-Bruce Among Cast" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 26 May 2023 .
^ Ramachandran, Naman (11 December 2023). " 'How to Have Sex' Star Mia McKenna-Bruce, Louisa Connolly-Burnham, Michael Fox to Lead Queer Drama 'Sister Wives' (EXCLUSIVE)" . Variety . Retrieved 22 February 2024 .
^ "The Dumping Ground Survival Files, S2-E2 Challenges" . Radio Times. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "The Dumping Ground: I'm...- Series 1, Tee Credits" . BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "Mia McKenna-Bruce on Instagram: Day 1 of rehearsals taking on the role of ENICA in this amazing feature for the next month IM TOO EXCITED #therebelsfilm" . 8 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "New BBC Thriller 'Get Even' Looks Seriously Chilling" . Tyla . 6 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020 .
^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (30 August 2021). " 'Vampire Academy': Sisi Stringer, Daniela Nieves & Kieron Moore Among 10 Cast In Peacock YA Drama Series" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 30 August 2021 .
^ Ritman, Alex (10 June 2024). " 'How to Have Sex' Star Mia McKenna-Bruce to Lead Netflix Agatha Christie Series 'The Seven Dials Mystery' With Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman (EXCLUSIVE)" . Variety . Retrieved 11 June 2024 .
^ Stearman, Nicki (28 January 2015). "You're the Boss: new game for CBBC's The Dumping Ground" . BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2017 .
^ "British Independent Film Awards 2023: the winners in full" . British Film Institute . Retrieved 18 February 2024 .
^ "The winners of the European Film Awards 2023" . European Film Academy . Retrieved 19 February 2024 .
^ Cline, Rich (4 February 2024). "London critics name The Zone of Interest as Film of the Year" . The Critics' Circle . Retrieved 19 February 2024 .
^ "Bafta Awards 2024: The complete list of winners and nominees" . BBC News . 18 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024 .
External links