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During a revealing conversation, Miranda Otto opens up on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest 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?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was growing up, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and once I videotaped it. I found it was so funny. It’s Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we attended and simply chuckled and laughed. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

The Best Insight Learned From a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, by looking and look at the actors sharing the stage with, you will find your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Fans

Can you describe your most touching encounter with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I am told numerous stories about what Eowyn impacted them when they were younger … things that had happened in their lives and how much Eowyn signified for them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed 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 entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know what was in 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 comedy of that situation. And I go into great detail listing the components that made up the concoction – because I remember what they did; such as put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat exercising, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made 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 work in media. I hadn't properly identified her. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. 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 Source of a Moniker

It’s been confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned stating otherwise – can you clarify this once and for all?

Yes – I was christened for a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a mall at Miranda, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium on Set

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

When I was 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 they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a really different way of working for me. All aspects were being assembled at the final moment, and at times they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day the methodology. And then I would be in during a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member popping open a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I memorise words often, 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’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

During my time in high school, a speaker came to speak when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn far more from setbacks than you learn from success. With success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.