🔗 Share this article

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

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

Your latest role is 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, that particular fish residing near a specific shoreline – since it is like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. I just think as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was growing up, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I found it was hilarious. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled and laughed. It’s such masterful work of comedy and all the actors in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing regularly.

The Best Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed 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 what I learned in that moment was, firstly, consistently rely on the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know your place, by looking and look at the people sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present then. It may become a gift when things go completely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

Can you describe 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 am told numerous stories about how that character meant to them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn signified for them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

Which questions get asked most frequently by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed question is invariably regarding the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know what was in the pot, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, in my view, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the stew – because I remember what they did; like they even adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like bits of veins in the meat. The crew employed great detail to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

What’s been your most cringeworthy run-in with a famous person?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly identified her. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to complete my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know your work!” I consider her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Indeed, I was christened for a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at Miranda, and the name sounded like 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 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 normally have a call sheet and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer popping open a bottle during filming, because he’s making a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I think if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

When I was in high school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn far more from failure than you learn from triumph. With success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn abundant.