The Beatles may be the biggest band in history, but one star of the upcoming quartet of biopics had some homework to do before they began filming.

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Sam Mendes's 'Cinematic Event' is set to tackle the story of the Fab Four, with each member receiving their own standalone film.

But while the names Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr may be household names for many around the world, it turns out that Ringo's on-screen first wife was somewhat less familiar with the band.

In an interview with Tatler, Mia McKenna-Bruce, who is set to play Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey, revealed that before filming began, she didn't know any of the quartet.

Mia McKenna-Bruce in a grey jacket at the Bafta Film Awards.
McKenna-Bruce first gained prominence as Tee Taylor in Tracy Beaker Returns. Photo by Neil Mockford/FilmMagic

"On [Agatha Christie's] Seven Dials, Martin [Freeman] was asking me to name all the Beatles – I didn't know," she explained, before adding that she had "no idea" what band Mick Jagger was in either.

On her limited Beatles knowledge, she recalled that "we sang 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Yellow Submarine' at school, but it wasn't my jam."

Thankfully, Freeman's frustration at McKenna-Bruce's lack of Beatles knowledge appears to have hit home, as the former Tracy Beaker star has now done her due diligence.

"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."

McKenna-Bruce will feature in all four films as Maureen Starkey, Ringo's wife of ten years with whom he had three children, while Barry Keoghan will play the legendary drummer.

The duo will be joined by a star-studded cast including the likes of Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Saoirse Ronan, James Norton, Aimee Lou Wood, Anna Sawai and more.

Filming reportedly began in November 2025, with a long and winding road to go until all four films release on 7th April 2028, so McKenna-Bruce certainly has plenty of time to brush up on her Beatles knowledge.

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