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In a candid conversation, Miranda Otto delves on subjects as varied as her latest role as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest character portrays the monarch of the cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish residing near Clovelly beach – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was growing up, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched often.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but back then we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. But I think the insight gained then was, firstly, always trust the individuals you’re working with. When you lose where you are, by looking and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great direction if you’re really present in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

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

It’s not a single particular interaction but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous stories 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 in those times.

Which questions get asked about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed question is invariably regarding that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? People are, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted the stew – as I recall what they did; such as put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as bad as they could.

An Awkward Star Encounter

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

I was at a pilates class and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted some joke inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to stay and do my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I do know who you are!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Moniker

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

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at that location, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

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 I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product turned out brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times the plan was unclear where they were shooting the next day the methodology. And then I would be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening a bottle on set, to start a party.” It turned out great, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have entered a field something to do with numbers, like mathematics or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, a speaker addressed us when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains so much more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. With success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.