🔗 Share this article

Through a thoughtful conversation, Miranda Otto delves on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through theatrical mistakes 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; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would it be and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish residing near Clovelly beach – since it is a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Return To

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was childhood, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I found it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched often.

The Best Insight Gained Through a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but at the time we were not together. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned then was, first, consistently rely on the individuals in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and toward the people you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It can be a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Interactions with Fans

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

There isn't a single specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of accounts about what Eowyn impacted them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn signified for 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 specific inquiry concerns always about that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and how was it made, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the humour of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the components that constituted the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to render it as unappetizing as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

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

I attended a pilates class and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and often when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Name

It’s been confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Indeed, I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Set

What’s the most 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 final product emerged brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a really different approach for me. All aspects were all coming together at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s the producer opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to 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 a numerically-oriented mind. So I think if I hadn’t pursued acting, I likely might have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

When I was in high school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains far more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely understand exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn abundant.