The actress Shares Insights on Her Career, Devoted Fans, and Life's Gifts.

Through a thoughtful interview, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent character portrays the monarch of the cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Straight away, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Film Favorite to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was childhood, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I found it was so funny. It stars 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 a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Fellow Actor

What’s the best lesson you took away from someone a colleague?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but at the time we were not together. We portrayed characters opposite each other and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and went really, really well. But I think what I learned in that moment was, firstly, consistently rely on the individuals you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, to maintain a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great way if you’re really present then. It can be a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

What’s been your most memorable encounter with a fan?

There isn't a single specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous accounts about how that character meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much that character signified for them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

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

The most detailed question is always about the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the concoction – as I recall what they did; like they even put bits 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.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

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

I was at a pilates class and another participant lying down exercising, and the teacher said to me, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted some joke inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Name

Articles have repeatedly stated 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?

Indeed, I was named after the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening 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?

While working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the most chaotic set of my career, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was rather flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different way of working for me. The elements were all coming together at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know the next location or how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” The result was great, but wow, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I memorise words a lot of the time, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

When I was in high 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 failure than is gained from success. With success, you never really comprehends precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.