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During a revealing interview, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her newest character as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

The most recent character portrays Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Straight away, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. When I was growing up, it used to come on television every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I found it was so funny. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It is a great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

The Best Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

What is the most valuable lesson you took away from someone a colleague?

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I tripped up – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance regained momentum and went really, really well. But I think what I learned in that moment was, first, always trust the people in your scene. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and toward the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a really great direction if you’re really present then. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of stories about how that character meant to them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn signified for them and was a form of support to them in those times.

What do you get asked about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and all fans wish to know what was in the pot, and its preparation method, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the components that constituted the stew – because I remember the efforts made; such as put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Encounter

What’s been your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to complete my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know who you are!” I think her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you clarify this once and for all?

Indeed, I was named after the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought sounded like a nice name.

Pandemonium on Set

What’s the most chaotic thing that’s ever happened on set?

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film emerged brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. Typically, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different way of working for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day the methodology. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer popping open a bottle on set, to start a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have entered a field something to do with numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Ever Received

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever received?

When I was in secondary school, a speaker came to speak when we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from setbacks than is gained from success. With success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn so much more.