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During a revealing conversation, Miranda Otto opens up on topics ranging from her newest character as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Fish 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?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near Clovelly beach – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. I just think as remarkable that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Film Favorite to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. During my childhood, it would air on the ABC occasionally, and once I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It is a great piece of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

What’s the best lesson you took away from someone a colleague?

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but at the time we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I remember glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. But I think the insight gained in that moment was, first, consistently rely on the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, if you turn around and toward the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a really great direction if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It may become a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Interactions with Fans

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of stories about how that character impacted them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn signified for them and was a form of support 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. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know what was in the stew, and how was it made, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the components that constituted the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as put bits of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and often when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know what to say. 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 her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

It’s been repeatedly stated 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 opening a shopping centre at that location, and she thought seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium on Set

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

When I was working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was sort of open ended – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times the plan was unclear the next location or how we were going to do it. And then I would be in during a scene and be like, “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 goodness, it’s a really different approach to 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 simply have that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I likely might have worked in something to do with numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Finest Guidance Ever Received

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

When I was in high school, a speaker addressed us as we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from setbacks than is gained from success. Success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn abundant.