# Mia McKenna-Bruce

Mia Sasha McKenna-Bruce (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.
On television, McKenna-Bruce also appeared in the iPlayer series Get Even and the Peacock series Vampire Academy. McKenna is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix series The Seven Dials Mystery as Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent.

## Early life

McKenna-Bruce was born on 3 July 1997 in London and was raised in Chislehurst, Bromley. McKenna-Bruce took dance classes at Liz Burville Performing Arts Centre in Bexley and was a student at Belcanto London Academy. McKenna-Bruce also attended the Sapphire Dance Academy in Bexleyheath, as well as the Maidstone Grammar School for Girls.

## 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 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. 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 is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix series The Seven Dials Mystery in the role of Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent.

## Personal life

In February 2022, McKenna-Bruce became engaged to actor Tom Leach. In August 2023, they welcomed their first child, a son. They got married in August 2024.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | The Fourth Kind | Ashley Tyler | |
| 2017 | Milo | Mia | Short film |
| 2019 | Hit It and Quit It | Nikki | Short film |
| 2019 | Watch What I Do | Nikki | Short film |
| 2021 | Smudged Smile | Zoe | Short film |
| 2021 | Last Train to Christmas | Linda | |
| 2022 | Persuasion | Mary Musgrove | |
| 2023 | Kindling | Lily | |
| 2023 | How to Have Sex | Tara | |
| 2024 | Sister Wives | Galilee | Short film |
| TBA | The Cry of the Guards | | Filming |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2008 | Small Dark Places | Ester | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Holby City | Abi Taylor | Episode: "Physician, Heal Thyself" |
| 2008 | EastEnders | Penny Branning | 5 episodes |
| 2009 | The Bill | Keira Curtis | Episode: "Little Girl Lost: Part 1" |
| 2009 | Doctors | Pearl Snow | 3 episodes |
| 2010–2012 | Tracy Beaker Returns | Tee Taylor | Main role |
| 2011 | Spy | Ashley | Episode: "Codename: Blood" |
| 2011 | The Tracy Beaker Survival Files | Tee Taylor | 5 episodes |
| 2013–2018 | The Dumping Ground | Tee Taylor | Main role |
| 2014 | The Dumping Ground Survival Files | Tee Taylor | Main role |
| 2016 | The Dumping Ground: I'm... | Tee Taylor | Main role |
| 2017 | Holby City | Asia Lucas | Episode: "Growing Pains" |
| 2017 | Josh | Babysitter | Episode: "Bicycles & Babies" |
| 2019 | Piss Off, I Love You | Teen Snogger | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Cleaning Up | Emily | 1 episode |
| 2019 | The Rebels | Enica | Main role |
| 2019 | The Witcher | Marilka | Episode: "The End's Beginning" |
| 2020 | Get Even | Bree Deringer | Main role |
| 2021 | Vera | Maya Draper | 1 episode |
| 2022 | Vampire Academy | Mia Karp | Main role |
| TBA | The Seven Dials Mystery | Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent | Main role |

### Video games

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

## Awards and nominations

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