Miranda Otto Reveals Insights on Acting, Devoted Fans, and Unexpected Lessons.

During a revealing conversation, Miranda Otto delves on subjects as varied as her latest role as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature 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?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near 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 go and see and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite 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 picture. When I was growing up, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and one time I videotaped it. I found it was so funny. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

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 back then we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I was unaware of my error but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I remember looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. But I think what I learned then was, firstly, always trust the people you’re working with. If you don’t know where you are, by looking and toward the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position in some way. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Memorable Interactions with Admirers

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

It’s not a single particular interaction 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 that character 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 question is always about the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and how was it made, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? People are, I think, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the components that made up the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as they could.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman lying down exercising, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke inquiring, “might you be 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 when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I am aware of your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

It’s been 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?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at Miranda, and the name seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium 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 least organized set of my career, and yet the film emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is really different. 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 approach for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes the plan was unclear where they were shooting or how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer popping open a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was 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 memorise numbers easier than I memorise words often, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I think had I not pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field something to do with numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

During my time in secondary school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from failure than is gained from triumph. Success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.