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Through a thoughtful conversation, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish 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 it be and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. I just think as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. During my childhood, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and one time I recorded it. I just thought it was so funny. It stars Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at a cinema 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 remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

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

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I tripped up – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe what I learned in that moment was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. When you lose your place, if you turn around and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way if you’re really present then. It may become an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Interactions with Fans

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

There isn't a single specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous accounts about how that character impacted them when they were younger … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and everyone wants to know the contents of the pot, and its preparation method, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that situation. And I provide great detail listing the components that constituted the stew – as I recall the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as bad as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a pilates class and another participant on a mat doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and often when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly identified her. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have 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 clarify this definitively?

Indeed, I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought seemed a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was rather flexible – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel approach 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 you’d be in during a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you 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 a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I probably would have worked in something to do with numbers, like math 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 when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn far more from failure than you learn from success. Success, you never really understand precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.