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During a revealing interview, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role 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 character portrays Queen 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 found at Clovelly beach – since it is a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. During my childhood, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and one time I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we attended and just laughed and laughed. It’s such great piece of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Insight Learned From a Fellow Actor

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

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I remember 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, firstly, consistently rely on the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great way provided you are really present in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go completely awry.

Memorable Interactions with Admirers

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

There isn't a single 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 meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much that character meant to them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed question is invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become 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 do you think her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I go into great detail describing the ingredients that made up the stew – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant on a mat exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I consider 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 clarify this once and for all?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name sounded like a nice name.

Pandemonium on Location

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon that was the most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a schedule and must arrive on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. All aspects were all coming together at the final moment, and sometimes the plan was unclear where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer opening some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I learn dialogue often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

When I was in high school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn far more from failure than is gained from triumph. Success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn abundant.