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Through a thoughtful interview, Miranda Otto reflects on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through theatrical mistakes and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

Your latest character portrays 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 you choose and why?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near Clovelly beach – since it is a local landmark, and people go there to see it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was growing up, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and one time I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It’s Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It’s such great piece of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

What’s the best 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 were playing opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I remember glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. But I think what I learned in that moment was, first, always trust the people in your scene. If you don’t know your place, by looking and toward the actors you’re with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be in some way. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great direction if you’re really present then. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Admirers

What’s been 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 hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn meant to 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 about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed inquiry concerns always about 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 how was it made, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the stew – as I recall the efforts made; like they even put bits of red cotton to make it look like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to make it look as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

What was your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman lying down exercising, and the teacher remarked, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know words. I still had to complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Moniker

Articles have 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?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name seemed a nice name.

Chaos on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. All aspects were all coming together at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting or how we were going to do it. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening a bottle during filming, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I memorise words often, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

When I was in secondary school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. Success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.