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During a revealing discussion, Miranda Otto reflects on topics ranging from 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 Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent role is Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; supposing you had the opportunity to be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and people go there to see 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 repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 comedy 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 one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently 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 simply chuckled repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned in that moment was, firstly, consistently rely on the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, by looking and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And next, just to have a sense of fun about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a really great way provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most memorable interaction with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous stories about what Eowyn impacted them when they were younger … 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 question is invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, 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, in my view, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I go into great detail listing the components that constituted the stew – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to great detail to render it as bad as they could.

A Cringeworthy Star Meeting

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

I was at a pilates class and another participant on a mat exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is 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. At that point, I didn’t know words. I still had to complete my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I am aware of who you are!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

It’s been repeatedly stated that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned you saying otherwise – can you clarify this definitively?

Indeed, I was named after the Sydney suburb. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a shopping centre at that location, and she thought sounded like a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Set

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic set of my career, and yet the film emerged brilliantly. But the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of 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 at times they wouldn’t know the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in during a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier 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 entered a field involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Guidance Given

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

During my time in secondary school, someone came to speak when we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from failure than you learn from success. Success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.