{"id":25356,"date":"2022-07-14T14:24:22","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T04:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=217793"},"modified":"2022-07-16T10:07:41","modified_gmt":"2022-07-16T06:07:41","slug":"mia-mckenna-bruce-interview-persuasion","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/mia-mckenna-bruce-interview-persuasion\/","title":{"rendered":"Mia McKenna-Bruce Steals The Spotlight In Netflix’s “Persuasion”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Credit: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s just 9am in London and 6pm in Sydney when I joined a Zoom call with Mia McKenna-Bruce this month and there is one thing I immediately notice from the 24-year-old – her energy. She’s bubbly and bright and a far cry from her character Mary – Anne’s sister – in the upcoming Netflix adaption of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. <\/em>But in many ways, her quick-witted personality would prove perfect for the romantic-comedy film which has shined modern day light (no matter how controversial for purists) on a classic novel. Boasting an all-star cast including Dakota Johnson, Henry Golding and Richard E. Grant, McKenna-Bruce has edged her way ever so closely stardom in the company of Hollywood royalty. But as the actress tells GRAZIA, it hasn’t been an easy adjustment.<\/p>\n

Below the 24-year-old discusses her latest role with GRAZIA and exactly what comes next for the up-and-coming star.<\/p>\n

Grazia: You\u2019ve been acting since a young age. Had you always wanted to be an actress?<\/h5>\n

Mia McKenna-Bruce: \u201cYes! I started off wanting to be a dancer when I was two years old. I had too much energy. I used to watch this documentary on Shirley Temple, the same documentary everyday after school. I had a little notebook making notes when I was five years old. First of all I thought I had to be American so I\u2019d put on an American accent all the time. Second of all, it was said in the documentary that Shirley Temple used to have exactly 52 curls in her hair so I would roll my hair to make 52 curls.<\/p>\n

“I saw an ad in the local newspaper for an amateur production of Seussical The Musical<\/em>…\u00a0I [auditioned] and somehow managed to be cast in the show. From there I was scouted by an agent and it went from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Persuasion
Credit: Nick Wall\/Netflix \u00a9 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
This could be considered your biggest film role to-date. Can you recall the experience of auditioning for the film?<\/h5>\n

MMB: \u201cIt was during COVID so we didn\u2019t have an in-person audition. I was speaking to the director Carrie Cracknell the other day and she made a comment about in the film, Mary is married to Charles. Ben Bailey Smith plays Charles and Ben is really tall and I\u2019m really really small. Without doing in-person auditions, she didn\u2019t realise until we had rehearsals for the first day. The height difference is comical.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a self-tape and I did a Zoom with Carrie and spoke about the film, what I thought about Mary and I explained that I\u2019m one of three sisters \u2013 I\u2019m the eldest, Mary is the youngest \u2013 and my sister Anya is as dramatic as Mary. Speaking to Carrie I said I really relate to this a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

And what about the moment you found out you had been cast?<\/h5>\n

MMB: \u201cI was at my boyfriend\u2019s mum\u2019s house in Manchester and it was a really sunny day. I saw my agent was calling me and I thought, \u2018This could be it!\u2019. It had been COVID so a lot of work had stopped, for everybody. This was the thing to get me going again. And working with Dakota Johnson, Richard E. Grant, Cosmo Jarvis. It was mind blowing. I kept saying, \u2018Are you sure, are you sure?\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n