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During a revealing interview, Miranda Otto delves on subjects as varied as her latest role as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

Your latest role is 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 found at a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually seek out and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. When I was childhood, it would air on television every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we attended and just laughed repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

What is the most valuable lesson you took away from someone you’ve worked with?

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but at the time we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, consistently rely on the individuals you’re working with. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It may become an unexpected boon when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Fans

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I am told numerous stories about how that character impacted them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn meant to 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 detailed question is invariably regarding that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? People are, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the stew – as I recall the efforts made; such as put bits of red cotton to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Star Encounter

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted 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 work in media. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, 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 just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed that you were given your name from 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 named after the Sydney suburb. Mum heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at that location, and the name seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. In Australia, you receive a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was rather flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes the plan was unclear where they were shooting or the methodology. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open a bottle during filming, because he’s making a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

When I was in high school, someone came to speak when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, because you learn far more from setbacks than is gained from success. Success, one rarely comprehends precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn abundant.