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In a candid interview, Miranda Otto delves on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest character portrays Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Without hesitation, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was childhood, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we attended and just laughed repeatedly. It is a great piece of humor and the entire cast in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

The Best Insight Gained Through a Fellow Actor

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from someone you’ve worked with?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but back then we were not together. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. But I think the insight gained then was, first, always trust the people in your scene. If you don’t know your place, by looking and toward the people you’re with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great way if you’re really present in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Fans

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

It’s not a single specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about what Eowyn impacted them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which that character meant to them and was a form of support to them in those times.

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

The most specific question is invariably regarding that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing about the stew, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the concoction – because I remember the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to great detail to make it look as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Encounter

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

I attended a pilates class and another participant on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Oh, 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’re a journalist. I hadn't properly identified her. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I think her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

Articles have confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you clarify this once and for all?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at that location, and the name sounded like a nice name.

Chaos on Set

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

While working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set of my career, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes the plan was unclear the next location the next day the methodology. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s the producer popping open a bottle on set, to start a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I memorise words often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I likely might have entered a field something to do with numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

When I was in secondary school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains so much more from setbacks than you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely comprehends precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.