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During a revealing interview, the acclaimed performer opens up on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

The most recent role is Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my growing up, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we attended and just laughed repeatedly. It is a masterful work of humor and the entire cast in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing regularly.

The Best Insight Gained Through a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but back then we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance took off again and proceeded splendidly. But I think the insight gained in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. When you lose where you are, by looking and look at the people you’re with, you can rediscover your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re really present then. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one particular interaction but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I am told numerous stories about how that character meant to them when they were younger … 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 specific question is always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and how was it made, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? People are, in my view, obsessed with the comedy of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the stew – because I remember the efforts made; like they even put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed great detail to render it as unappetizing as possible.

A Cringeworthy Star Encounter

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

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I think her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Name

Articles have 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 clarify this once and for all?

Indeed, I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at that location, and the name seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon that was the most chaotic 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 rather open ended – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the final moment, 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 caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I think had I not pursued acting, I likely might have worked in involving numbers, like math or finance.

The Finest Guidance Given

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

When I was in secondary school, a speaker addressed us as we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains so much more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are abundant.