Mia McKenna-Bruce, the 28-year-old Bafta-winning actress, recently shared details of an unexpected injury during the filming of the Netflix adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. Playing the lead role of the spirited amateur detective Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent, she encountered a mishap that required quick thinking to keep production on track.

Injury Halts Filming Mid-Scene

McKenna-Bruce broke her foot while shooting an action sequence, describing the incident as tripping over thin air in the midst of a scene. With six weeks of demanding physical scenes still ahead—including jumps, dives, and chases as Bundle investigates the murder of her lover Gerry, portrayed by Corey Mylchreest—the injury posed a significant challenge.

The series features a stellar cast, including Martin Freeman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Nabhaan Rizwan, bringing the classic crime novel to life with plenty of high-energy moments.

Sister Steps In as Body Double

To continue filming without delay, McKenna-Bruce turned to her younger sister, Ellis, who bears a striking resemblance to her and served as a body double. The siblings shared photos from the set on Instagram, showing them in matching costumes for Bundle, Ellis preparing for scenes, and McKenna-Bruce’s booted foot resting on her sister’s lap.

In her Instagram caption, McKenna-Bruce wrote, “[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.”

Ellis responded enthusiastically in the comments: “Best time ever!!!! Would do it all over again.”

Not the First On-Set Setback

This marks the second time McKenna-Bruce has sustained a foot injury during a production. While working on the 2022 Peacock series Vampire Academy, where she portrayed Mia Karp, she broke her ankle off-set. The role presented additional hurdles due to the American accent required, and the injury forced her to film for four months unable to walk, with a cast on her leg.

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!!”

Embracing the Role of Bundle

Despite the injury, McKenna-Bruce enjoyed embodying Bundle, drawn to the character’s deep 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 Helena Bonham Carter, who plays her on-screen mother, proved inspiring. McKenna-Bruce absorbed valuable advice, particularly Bonham Carter’s habit of maintaining energy with snacks. She shared, “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.