🔗 Share this article

During a revealing conversation, Miranda Otto opens up on subjects as varied as her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest role is 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, that particular fish residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. I just think it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Film Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. When I was childhood, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I found it was hilarious. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and simply chuckled repeatedly. It is a great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Fellow Actor

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

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 didn’t know what I’d done but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe what I learned in that moment was, first, always trust the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, by looking and look at the actors you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely the wrong way.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

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

There isn't just one 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 younger … events that occurred in their lives and how much that character 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. “Was the stew really that bad?” It’s become such a joke, the entire episode about the stew, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – as I recall what they did; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Star Encounter

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know who you are!” I consider her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Source of a Moniker

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 definitively?

Indeed, I was named after the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at Miranda, and she thought sounded like a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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 emerged brilliantly. But they just work in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you receive a schedule 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 novel approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the final moment, and at times the plan was unclear the next location or the methodology. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I probably would have entered a field something to do with numbers, like math or finance.

The Finest Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in secondary school, a speaker addressed us when we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from failure than you learn from success. Success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.