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In a candid conversation, Miranda Otto delves on topics ranging from her newest character as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest 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?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually seek out and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. During my childhood, it used to come on television every now and again, and one time I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled repeatedly. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

The Best Insight Learned From 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 – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe the insight gained then was, first, always trust the people you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and look at the people you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It’s such communal thing, performing live. And secondly, just to have a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great way provided you are really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

Can you describe your most memorable encounter with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about how that character impacted them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

Which questions get asked about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed inquiry concerns always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I go into great detail listing the components that made up the concoction – because I remember what they did; like they even put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

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

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and often when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

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 settle the matter once and for all?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. Mum heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at that location, and she thought seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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

While working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set of my career, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you receive a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of open ended – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a really different way of working for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes the plan was unclear where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was the producer opening a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was great, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I memorise words often, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I probably would have entered a field 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 high school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn far more from failure than you learn from triumph. With success, you never really comprehends precisely why it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.