An actress set to portray Ringo Starr's first wife in an ambitious new series of Beatles films has made a surprising confession: before landing the part, she could not name any members of the legendary band.
From Unknown to On-Screen Wife
Mia McKenna-Bruce, the 28-year-old English actress cast as Maureen Starkey, revealed in a recent interview with Tatler magazine that her knowledge of The Beatles was virtually non-existent prior to her casting. The revelation comes ahead of her starring role in director Sam Mendes' upcoming cinematic event, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
The four films, which will explore the lives and careers of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, are scheduled for a global release on April 7, 2028. Each movie will be told from the unique perspective of a different band member.
McKenna-Bruce, known for her acclaimed performance in the 2021 film How to Have Sex and previous roles in Tracy Beaker Returns and Holby City, will next appear in Netflix's The Seven Dials Mystery before stepping into the Beatles biopic.
A Stark Admission of Ignorance
Speaking candidly, McKenna-Bruce shared the moment her lack of knowledge was exposed. "On Seven Dials, Martin [Freeman] was asking me to name all the Beatles – I didn't know," she admitted. "Then he'd ask me, 'What band was Mick Jagger in?' I was, like, 'I have no idea, Martin.'"
The actress recalled that her only prior exposure to the band's music was through school renditions of Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Submarine, which she confessed "wasn't my jam." Her perspective has since undergone a dramatic shift. "Yet now, I'm, like, 'Oh my God, The Beatles are underrated! This is good!' It's music I'd sit and listen to on the train."
Honouring Maureen Starkey's Legacy
Despite her initial unfamiliarity, McKenna-Bruce has immersed herself in the history of her character. Maureen Starkey was a 16-year-old hairdresser when she met Ringo Starr soon after he joined The Beatles. The couple married in 1965, shared three children, and divorced a decade later due to Starr's escalating alcoholism and infidelity. Starkey later had an affair with George Harrison before remarrying Hard Rock Cafe co-founder Isaac Tigrett. She died in 1994 at age 48 from leukaemia complications.
The actress expressed a deep sense of responsibility in her portrayal. "I haven't met Ringo, but apparently, to this day, when he talks about Maureen, he gets this brightness behind his eyes," she shared. "Ringo went through so much – all of the Beatles did – and Maureen really grounded him, so it's important to me to keep her as human and warm as possible."
The star-studded cast for the Sam Mendes-helmed project includes Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. Supporting roles feature Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, and Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd.
A Legacy in Need of Guardians?
McKenna-Bruce's initial ignorance touches on a concern recently voiced by a member of the Beatles' own family. Earlier in December, Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, expressed a fear that younger generations might forget the band's monumental impact.
During an interview on CBS's Sunday Morning, he stated, "I'm just doing my best to help make sure that the younger generation doesn't forget about The Beatles and John and Yoko." When asked if he worried his father's work could be forgotten, he admitted, "To forget about it? I do, actually. And I never did before."
Formed in Liverpool in 1960, The Beatles remain the best-selling musical act of all time, with a record 18 UK number one singles and 16 UK number one albums. The upcoming biopic series aims to reintroduce their story to a new global audience, with even its cast members becoming converts along the way.
