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In a candid discussion, Miranda Otto delves on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from 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, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was childhood, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and once I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It’s Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we attended and just laughed and laughed. It’s such great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from someone a colleague?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned then was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. When you lose where you are, by looking and look at the people sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I am told numerous stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were younger … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish 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, in my view, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I provide great detail listing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – because I remember what they did; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to make it look as bad as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and often 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. Then I didn’t know what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin 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 I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. Mum learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a nice name.

Chaos on Set

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 film turned out brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know the next location the next day the methodology. 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 popping open some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I memorise words often, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I think if I hadn’t ended up in 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?

During my time in secondary school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains far more from setbacks than you learn from success. With success, one rarely comprehends precisely why it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.