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In a candid interview, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps 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 you choose and why?

Straight away, that particular fish residing near Clovelly beach – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was childhood, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It stars 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 an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It is a great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. 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 Insight Gained Through a Fellow Actor

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from someone a colleague?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but at the time we were not together. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned then was, first, consistently rely on the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and toward the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position in some way. It is a profoundly communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re really present then. It may become an unexpected boon when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

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

It’s not a single specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of accounts about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support to them in those times.

What do you get asked about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most specific question is always about that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing about the stew, and everyone wants to know the contents of 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 bad cook? People are, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – because I remember the efforts made; such as adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to make it look as unappetizing as possible.

A Cringeworthy Star Encounter

What’s been your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Hello 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’re a journalist. I wasn’t really identified her. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I still had to complete my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Moniker

It’s been confidently claimed 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?

Yes – I was christened for a district in Sydney. Mum heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and the name seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film emerged brilliantly. But the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. In Australia, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather flexible – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a really different approach for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in during a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s the producer opening some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” It turned out excellent, but wow, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue often, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I think had I not pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field 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 high school, a speaker came to speak as 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 failure than is gained from success. Success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.