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In a candid discussion, Miranda Otto delves on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons gleaned from theatrical mistakes and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

The most recent character portrays the monarch 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 like an institution, and people go there to see 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 Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my growing up, it used to come on television occasionally, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and simply chuckled repeatedly. It is a masterful work of comedy and the entire cast in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, to be watched regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

What’s the best 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 together. We were playing opposite each other and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead 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 our performance regained momentum and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned then was, firstly, always trust the people you’re working with. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and toward the people you’re with, you can rediscover your correct position in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And secondly, to maintain a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present then. It may become a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Fans

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, especially female fans, I am told numerous accounts about what Eowyn meant to them when they were younger … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which that character meant to them and was a form of support to them in those times.

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

The most specific question is always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and how was it made, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the humour of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that made up the stew – as I recall the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to render it as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

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 exercising, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know what to say. I was obliged to complete my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

It’s been confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Indeed, I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a nice name.

Pandemonium on Set

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set of my career, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a schedule and must arrive on set punctually. But this was sort of 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 the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member popping open a bottle on set, because he’s making a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I memorise words a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I likely might have entered a field something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Finest Guidance 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 stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from setbacks than you learn from triumph. Success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.