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In a candid discussion, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent 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?

Without hesitation, the blue groper found at Clovelly beach – because it’s a local landmark, and people go there to see it. I just think as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that people actually seek out and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Film Favorite to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my childhood, it would air on television every now and again, and one time I videotaped 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 went and simply chuckled repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of comedy and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, to be watched often.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I stumbled – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, consistently rely on the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the actors you’re with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, acting on stage. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way if you’re fully engaged then. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

Can you describe your most touching encounter with a fan?

There isn't a single specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about how that character impacted them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for them and was a form of support to them in those times.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, 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 believe she really is a poor chef? People are, I think, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that made up the stew – because I remember what they did; such as adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to great detail to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin 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 you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter once and for all?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a mall at Miranda, and she thought seemed 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 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 normally have a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I believe 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 Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn far more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. With success, one rarely understand exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.