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In a candid discussion, Miranda Otto opens up on subjects as varied as her newest character as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

Your latest character portrays Queen 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, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – since it is like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. During my childhood, it would air on the ABC occasionally, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we attended and simply chuckled and laughed. It is a masterful work of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched often.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I remember looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned in that moment was, first, consistently rely on the individuals you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and toward the people you’re with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great way provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Fans

What’s been 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 hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which that character meant to them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed inquiry concerns always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the whole thing about the stew, and all fans wish to know what was in the stew, and how was it made, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the stew – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to make it look as unappetizing as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I attended a pilates class and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly identified her. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Name

It’s been 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 clarify this definitively?

Yes – I was named after the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a nice name.

Pandemonium on Location

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

While working in Brazil for the film 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 a distinct manner. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a call sheet and must arrive on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting or the methodology. And then I would be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s the producer popping open some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret 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 ended up in acting, I likely might have entered a field something to do with numbers, like mathematics or accounting.

The Finest Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, someone came to speak when we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains far more from failure than is gained from triumph. With success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.