🔗 Share this article

In a candid interview, Miranda Otto opens up on subjects as varied as her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through theatrical mistakes and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent character portrays 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, that particular fish residing near Clovelly beach – since it is like an institution, and people go there to see it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was growing up, it used to come on television every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian 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 repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

What is the most valuable lesson you took away from someone a colleague?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but back then we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I remember glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, consistently rely on the individuals you’re working with. When you lose your place, by looking and toward the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position somehow. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great way if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go completely the wrong way.

Heartening Interactions with Fans

Can you describe your most memorable encounter with a fan?

It’s not a single particular interaction but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of accounts about how that character meant to them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and how much Eowyn meant to them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed inquiry concerns always about that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode about the stew, and all fans wish to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? People are, in my view, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I go into great detail describing the ingredients that made up the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as put bits of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as bad as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

What was your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really identified her. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “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 Origin of a Name

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 clarify this definitively?

Yes – I was christened for a district in Sydney. Mum heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought sounded like 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 of my career, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept 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 whenever you happen to be ready. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know the next location or the methodology. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member 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 Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I memorise words often, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

During my time 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 triumph. With success, one rarely comprehends precisely why it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.