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In a candid interview, Miranda Otto delves on topics ranging from her latest role as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

Your latest character portrays Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; supposing you had the opportunity to be a fish for a day, which one would it be and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish residing near Clovelly beach – since it is like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. When I was growing up, it used to come on television every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It is a great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe the insight gained then was, first, consistently rely on the people you’re working with. When you lose where you are, by looking and look at the people you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are fully engaged then. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Admirers

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

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn impacted them when they were younger … things that had happened 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 about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed question is invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and all fans wish to know what was in the pot, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? People are, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the components that constituted the concoction – because I remember what they did; such as adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed great detail to render it as bad as they could.

An Awkward Star Encounter

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then 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 am aware of who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Name

Articles have repeatedly stated that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you clarify this once and for all?

Indeed, I was named after the Sydney suburb. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. Typically, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was rather flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. All aspects were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting 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? Oh, it’s a crew member opening some champagne during filming, 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’ve always been an aptitude for 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 ended up in acting, I probably would have entered a field involving numbers, like math or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, a speaker addressed us when 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 you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.