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During a revealing discussion, Miranda Otto opens up on topics ranging from her latest role as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent role is Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; supposing you had the opportunity to be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Straight away, that particular fish residing near Clovelly beach – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Film Favorite to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was childhood, it would air on the ABC occasionally, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was hilarious. It’s Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It’s such great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing regularly.

The Best Insight Gained Through a Co-Star

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from someone you’ve worked with?

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but at the time we were not together. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. But I think the insight gained then was, firstly, always trust the individuals you’re working with. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the people you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go completely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

There isn't just one particular interaction but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which that character meant to them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

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

The most detailed question is invariably regarding that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It’s become such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? People are, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the stew – as I recall the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as bad as they could.

A Cringeworthy Star Meeting

What was your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I attended a fitness session and another participant lying down exercising, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Name

Articles have confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Indeed, I was christened for a district in Sydney. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at Miranda, and she thought seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Set

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set of my career, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. In Australia, you normally have a call sheet and must arrive on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were being assembled at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know the next location the next day how we were going to do it. 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 some champagne on set, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but wow, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I memorise words a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I likely might have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

During my time in secondary school, a speaker addressed us as 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. Success, one rarely comprehends precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.