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Through a thoughtful interview, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature 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 it be and why?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. During my growing up, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and once I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled and laughed. It’s such great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

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

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House with Pete – 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 skipped forward a few lines in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. But I think the insight gained then was, firstly, consistently rely on the people you’re working with. When you lose your place, if you turn around and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present then. It may become a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

There isn't just one particular interaction 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 younger … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

Which questions get asked about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew really that bad?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted the stew – as I recall what they did; like they even adding pieces of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. They went to great detail to make it look as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Encounter

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 remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly identified her. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of who you are!” I consider her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck 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 stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Indeed, I was christened for the Sydney suburb. Mum heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and she thought sounded like a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium 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 least organized set of my career, and yet the final product emerged 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 you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day the methodology. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member popping open some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I think had I not pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Piece of Advice Given

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 stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, because you learn far more from failure than is gained from success. With success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.