🔗 Share this article

Through a thoughtful interview, Miranda Otto reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

Your latest character portrays 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?

Straight away, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually seek out and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Staple to Return To

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. During my childhood, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

The Best Insight Learned From a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but at the time we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know your place, if you turn around and toward the people you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It’s such communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great way provided you are really present then. It may become an unexpected boon when things go completely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Fans

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

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees 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 that character meant to them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

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

The most detailed question is always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and everyone wants to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, in my view, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I go into great detail listing the components that constituted the stew – because I remember the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What was your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I attended a pilates class and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for words. I still had to complete my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

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 once and for all?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and the name 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 least organized set of my career, and yet the film emerged incredibly well. But they just work in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. All aspects were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening a bottle on set, to start a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Secret Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I learn dialogue often, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I think had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice 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 comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.