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In a candid interview, Miranda Otto opens up on subjects as varied as her newest character as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons learned through theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest 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 you choose and why?

Without hesitation, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that people actually seek out and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. When I was growing up, it would air on the ABC occasionally, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It stars Carole Lombard and 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 and laughed. It’s such great piece of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. 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.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from someone you’ve worked with?

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but at the time we were not together. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned then was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Interactions with Admirers

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

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about how that character impacted them when they were younger … events that occurred 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 about the most by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew really that bad?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that made up the stew – because I remember what they did; such as put bits 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.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

What was your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I was at a pilates class and another participant on a mat exercising, and the teacher said to me, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I am aware of who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Name

It’s been repeatedly stated that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned stating otherwise – can you settle the matter once and for all?

Indeed, I was named after the Sydney suburb. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium on Location

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set of my career, and yet the final product turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting or how we were going to do it. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s the producer opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have 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 math or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

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

When I was in secondary school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn so much more from failure than you learn from success. Success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.