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In a candid conversation, Miranda Otto opens up on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

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 it be and why?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. I just think as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that people actually seek out and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was childhood, it used to come on television every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I found it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It’s such great piece of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Fellow Actor

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

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but back then we were not together. We portrayed characters opposite each other and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. But I think the insight gained then was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and toward the people you’re with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be in some way. It’s such collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present then. It may become an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

Can you describe your most touching encounter with a fan?

It’s not a single particular interaction but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn impacted them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and how much that character signified for 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 question is invariably regarding that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become such a joke, the entire episode about the stew, 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 think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the stew – as I recall what they did; such as put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

What was your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I attended a pilates class and there was a woman on a mat exercising, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted some joke 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 as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I am aware of your work!” I consider her talent is immense 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 once and for all?

Indeed, I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother heard on the radio that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name seemed a nice name.

Chaos on Set

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 of my career, and yet the final product turned out brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I think if I hadn’t pursued acting, I likely might have worked in involving 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 came to speak when we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains far more from failure than is gained from success. Success, you never really comprehends precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.