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In a candid discussion, Miranda Otto reflects on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Fish 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 it be and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was childhood, it would air on television every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was hilarious. It’s Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we attended and simply chuckled and laughed. It’s such great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched often.

A Priceless Insight Gained Through 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 were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned then was, first, always trust the people in your scene. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and look at the actors sharing the stage with, you will find your correct position in some way. It’s such collaborative endeavor, performing live. 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 in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go completely the wrong way.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

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

There isn't a single specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I am told numerous accounts about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much 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 specific inquiry concerns always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become such a joke, the whole thing about the stew, and everyone wants to know what was in the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? People are, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I provide great detail describing the ingredients that constituted the stew – as I recall what they did; such as adding pieces of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as unappetizing as possible.

A Cringeworthy Star Encounter

What’s been your most cringeworthy run-in with a famous person?

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really identified her. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I consider her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

It’s been 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?

Indeed, I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times 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? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open a bottle during filming, because he’s making a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I think had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

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

During my time in secondary school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains so much more from failure than is gained from success. Success, one rarely comprehends precisely why it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.