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During a revealing interview, Miranda Otto opens up on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

Your latest role is the monarch 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 Clovelly beach – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Return To

What film do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was childhood, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and once I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled and laughed. It is a great piece of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

What is the most valuable lesson you took away 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 together. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I remember looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, by looking and toward the people sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great direction provided you are really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

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

It’s not a single specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about what Eowyn impacted them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding that infamous meal 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 all fans wish to know what was in the stew, and its preparation method, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that made up the stew – as I recall the efforts made; like they even put bits of red cotton to make it look like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as bad as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I attended a pilates class and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really identified her. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Name

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 definitively?

Yes – I was named after the Sydney suburb. Mum heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at that location, and the name seemed a nice name.

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 I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film emerged brilliantly. But the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location or how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening a bottle on set, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but wow, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Secret Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I learn dialogue often, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I think had I not pursued acting, I likely might have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. With success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.