Mia McKenna-Bruce, the Bafta-winning actress known for her role in Persuasion, recently suffered a foot injury while filming the Netflix adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. The 28-year-old portrayed the lead character, Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent, an energetic amateur detective navigating action-packed sequences to solve a murder mystery.
On-Set Mishap and Quick Solution
During production, McKenna-Bruce tripped over nothing in the middle of a scene, breaking her foot with six weeks of demanding shoots remaining. The role required jumping, diving, and running, making the injury particularly challenging.
To keep filming on track, she enlisted her sister, Ellis, who bears a striking resemblance to her, as a body double. McKenna-Bruce shared on Instagram: ‘In usual Mia chaos fashion I broke my foot. Tripping over thin air mid scene. [We] needed a superhero to save the day. And as if by magic, I have a little sister who looks like my twin. [Ellis] literally saved the show, stepping in to become my body double and we had an absolute blast while doing it.’
Photos posted alongside the caption showed the sisters in matching costumes for Bundle, Ellis preparing for scenes, and McKenna-Bruce’s booted foot resting on her sister’s lap. Ellis commented: ‘Best time ever!!!! Would do it all over again.’
Previous Injury on Another Production
This isn’t the first time McKenna-Bruce has faced an injury during a project. While working on the 2022 Peacock series Vampire Academy as Mia Karp, she broke her ankle off-set, complicating four months of filming with limited mobility and a leg cast.
Reflecting on the challenges, she noted: ‘[Mia] is American first of all. So, doing an American accent always adds more of a challenge. I also broke my ankle during the shoot (not actually on set) which made things a lot harder as I had to film for 4 months unable to walk and with a cast on my leg!!’
Insights into the Role and Co-Stars
Despite the setback, McKenna-Bruce enjoyed embodying Bundle, drawn to the character’s empathy and connections with others. She explained: ‘For me [Bundle’s] love of people, her ability to connect with each person and [for them to] really mean something to her [connected with me].’
Working alongside stars like Martin Freeman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Nabhaan Rizwan added to the experience. Regarding Bonham Carter, who played her on-screen mother, McKenna-Bruce praised her mentorship: ‘She is like a master class in all things, as a human, as an actor. One of the main things that I’ve taken away is that she has an energy basket of snacks to make sure she’s got her energy up at all times. She has the best snacks on the go, and we all took them and ran with them and made our own little snack basket. Everywhere I go, I need my snacks.’
Seven Dials is now available to stream on Netflix.
