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In a candid interview, Miranda Otto delves on topics ranging from her latest role as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

The most recent role is the monarch 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 like an institution, and people go there to see it. I just think as remarkable that there’s a local fish that people actually seek out and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Return To

What film 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 television every now and again, and once I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we attended and simply chuckled repeatedly. It is a great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless Insight Learned From 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 – now my spouse, but at the time we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned then was, first, consistently rely on the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know your place, by looking and look at the people you’re with, you will find your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re fully engaged then. It may become a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Interactions with Fans

Can you describe your most memorable encounter with a fan?

There isn't a single particular interaction but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much that character signified for them and was a form of support to them in those times.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the whole thing about the stew, and everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and how was it made, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that made up the stew – because I remember what they did; such as put bits of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to render it as bad as they could.

A Cringeworthy Star Encounter

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. 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 so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know who you are!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Name

It’s been repeatedly stated that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Yes – I was christened for a district in Sydney. Mum heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name seemed a nice name.

Chaos on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged brilliantly. But they just work 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 open ended – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel approach for me. All aspects were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times the plan was unclear the next location or how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” The result was great, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been 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 if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I likely might have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Piece of Advice Given

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

When I was in secondary school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn so much more from failure than you learn from success. Success, you never really understand precisely why it happened. With failure, you learn so much more.