🔗 Share this article

Through a thoughtful discussion, Miranda Otto opens up on subjects as varied as her newest character as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom learned through theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

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

Straight away, the blue groper found at Clovelly beach – since it is a local landmark, and people go there to see it. I just think as remarkable that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic 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 used to come on television every now and again, and once I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless 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 alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I remember looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, 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 people in your scene. If you don’t know your place, by looking and toward the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position somehow. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are really present in that moment. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

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

There isn't 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 meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and its preparation method, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? People are, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the components that made up the stew – because I remember what they did; such as adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to great detail to make it look as bad as they could.

A Cringeworthy Star Meeting

What was your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat exercising, and the teacher remarked, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and often when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly identified her. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of who you are!” I consider 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 stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Yes – I was christened for a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium on Set

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

While working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the most chaotic set of my career, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But they just work in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather flexible – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel approach for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, 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 during a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s the producer popping open a bottle on set, to start a party.” It turned out great, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Guidance Given

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

During my time in high school, a speaker came to speak when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn so much more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. With success, you never really understand precisely why it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.