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In a candid conversation, Miranda Otto delves on subjects as varied as her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

The most recent 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 you choose and why?

Straight away, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – since it is like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was growing up, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It is a great piece of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

The Best Insight Learned From a Co-Star

What’s the best lesson you took away from someone a colleague?

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but at the time we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned then was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the people you’re with, you will find your correct position in some way. It’s such communal thing, performing live. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a really great direction provided you are fully engaged then. It can be a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

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

It’s not a single specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I am told numerous stories about how that character meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred 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 inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the whole thing about the stew, and all fans wish to know the contents of the stew, 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, in my view, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I provide great detail listing the components that constituted the concoction – as I recall what they did; such as put bits of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to great detail to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly identified her. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know what to say. I still had to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I am aware of your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed that you were given your name from 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 christened for the Sydney suburb. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product turned out incredibly well. But they just work in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is really different. In Australia, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was rather open ended – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times the plan was unclear the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s the producer popping open some champagne during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I think if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

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

When I was in high school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains far more from setbacks than is gained from success. Success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.