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In a candid discussion, Miranda Otto reflects on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

The most recent role is the monarch of the cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would it be and why?

Straight away, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. I just think as remarkable that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was childhood, it used to come on television every now and again, and one time I recorded it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled and laughed. It is a masterful work of comedy and the entire cast in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, to be watched often.

A Priceless Insight Learned From a Co-Star

What’s the best lesson you learned from someone you’ve worked with?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I was unaware of my error but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and toward 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 next, just to have a sense of fun about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re fully engaged then. It may become a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

Can you describe your most memorable interaction with a fan?

There isn't just one particular interaction but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and how much Eowyn signified for them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the whole thing involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and how was it made, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I provide great detail describing the components that constituted the stew – because I remember what they did; like they even adding pieces of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. They went to great detail to render it as bad as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

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

I was at a pilates class and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I do know your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you clarify this definitively?

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

Pandemonium on Location

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 most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is unique. In Australia, you receive a call sheet and must arrive on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. All aspects were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day the methodology. And then you’d be in during a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer popping open some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” It turned out excellent, but wow, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I learn dialogue often, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I think had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Finest Guidance Given

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

During my time in secondary school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are abundant.