‘He’s got a really youthful thing going on’: Mia McKenna-Bruce, 28, opens up about her on-screen romance with ‘heartthrob’ Matt Dillon, 61, and admits he’s the same age as her PARENTS

Mia McKenna-Bruce has opened up about her on-screen romance with Matt Dillon as she admitted he is the same age as her parents.

The actress, 28, starred alongside the heartthrob in The Fence this year, a film based on Bernard Marie-Koltès’ 1979 play.

Set in West Africa, Mia plays the role of Leonie, a young wife to Matt’s character Horn, an American construction foreman.

The movie explores the themes of masculinity, race, culture and social divides.

Despite playing spouses of a similar age on screen, there is a 33-year age gap between both actors. 

In a new interview, Mia has admitted she didn’t realise how much of a pinup her co-star was until seeing screaming women waiting for him at the premiere.

Mia, who is the cover star of February’s Tatler, told the publication: ‘I had no idea what a heartthrob Matt was.

‘When we were in Toronto [for the film’s world premiere, there were screaming women waiting for him. I was like, “Matt, I didn’t realise you were such hot property”. He’s so humble and such a sweetheart.’

The actress also said she was uncertain at first about playing his wife in the drama, given he is the same age as her parents. 

She explained: ‘It was a bold choice, but mentally we were in the same place. Like Helena, Matt’s got a really youthful thing going.

‘He said, “Tell me if you ever feel an age gap,” but I never felt that shift.’

Posing for Tatler’s cover, Mia looked incredible in a 1920s inspired dress draped in crystals and pearls.

The Bafta-winning actress was speaking ahead of her role in Netflix’s Agatha Christie adaption The Seen Dials Mystery.

Mia previously revealed that she almost quit acting for good as she was so stricken by panic attacks, which made auditions a nightmare.

She who found fame on CBBC drama The Dumping Ground, even dropped her agent and took a job in a call centre after deciding she was done with acting.

However, in a U-turn, she returned to the screen and won praise for her role in How To Have Sex, a coming of age drama.

She previously said: ‘It was really hard. I was putting so much pressure on myself and I wasn’t enjoying it anymore.

‘I was like, “Why am I doing this to myself?”

‘Before auditions I would get myself in such a state I would think, why am I putting myself through it?

‘The actual audition would be fine – I would be in there and I would be loving it – but I would come out and have a panic attack because of how much I had worked myself up before.

‘I took myself away from it and went travelling. I got a job in a call centre and thought, maybe I have had that part of my life.

‘But I did that for a couple of months and then was like, no actually I remember what I love about it now, take me back.

‘My agents were great and were really supportive saying take your time. But it did get to a point where I didn’t think I wanted to act anymore and I left my agent then.

‘I thought, I don’t want to do this, there’s no point in taking up someone else’s space.

‘I was convinced I was done with it, but I very much wasn’t. For me it was taking a break and figuring out what I wanted to do.’

Last year Mia tied the knot with her actor boyfriend Tom Leach, following the birth of their young son Leo.

They said ‘I do’ at a luxury countryside manor estate, where they rented the entirety of the bedrooms for their family and friends to celebrate with them. 

Read the full feature in the February Issue of Tatler available via digital download and on newsstands from Thursday 8th January.