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In a candid conversation, Miranda Otto opens up on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Fish 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 it be and why?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was growing up, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we attended and just laughed repeatedly. It’s such great piece of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

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

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but back then we were not together. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – 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 expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, by looking and look at the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way if you’re really present then. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

What’s been your most touching encounter with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous stories about how that character impacted them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and how much Eowyn meant to 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 detailed question is always about the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know what was in the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? People are, in my view, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I provide great detail describing the components that made up the stew – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to make it look as unappetizing as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

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

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman lying down exercising, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s 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 Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

It’s been confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter once and for all?

Indeed, I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at Miranda, and the name seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos 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 most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting or the methodology. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer opening a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I likely might have entered a field involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, a speaker addressed us as we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains far more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.