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During a revealing interview, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

Your latest role is 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?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near Clovelly beach – since it is like an institution, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. I just think as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was childhood, it used to come on television every now and again, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was hilarious. It’s Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we attended and simply chuckled and laughed. It’s such great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

What’s the best lesson you learned from someone you’ve worked with?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance took off again and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned then was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and look at the people sharing the stage with, you will find your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great way if you’re really present then. It can be an unexpected boon when things go completely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

There isn't 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 … events that occurred in their lives and how much that character meant to them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

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

The most detailed inquiry concerns always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and everyone wants to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that made up the stew – because I remember what they did; such as put bits of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I was at a pilates class and another participant lying down exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made 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 hadn't properly identified her. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for words. I still had to complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin 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 stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But they just work in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a call sheet and must arrive on set punctually. But this was rather flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location or the methodology. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was great, but wow, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I memorise words a lot of the time, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I think if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I likely might 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?

When I was in high school, someone came to speak when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from setbacks than you learn from triumph. With success, you never really understand precisely why it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.