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During a revealing conversation, Miranda Otto opens up on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent 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 residing near a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. I just think as remarkable that there’s a local fish that people actually seek out and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my childhood, it would air on the ABC occasionally, and once I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and 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 and laughed. It’s such great piece of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing regularly.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the people you’re with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, acting on stage. And next, to maintain a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a really great direction if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It can be a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Fans

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

There isn't a single particular interaction 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 growing up … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

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

The most specific question is always about that infamous meal 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 everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and its preparation method, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? People are, in my view, obsessed with the humour of that scene. And I provide great detail describing the components that constituted the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to great detail to make it look as unappetizing as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman lying down exercising, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous 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 stating otherwise – can you settle the matter once and for all?

Yes – I was christened for a district in Sydney. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought seemed a pleasant choice.

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 of my career, and yet the film emerged brilliantly. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was the producer opening a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue often, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have entered a field involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice Given

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

When I was in high school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains far more from failure than is gained from triumph. Success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.