🔗 Share this article

Through a thoughtful discussion, Miranda Otto delves on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

The most recent character portrays 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?

Straight away, that particular fish found at Clovelly beach – since it is like an institution, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Film Favorite to Return To

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was childhood, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was so funny. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we attended and simply chuckled repeatedly. 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 as effective. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Co-Star

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

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We were playing opposite each other and during the premiere I tripped up – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and went really, really well. But I think the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, always trust the individuals in your scene. When you lose your place, if you turn around and toward the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position in some way. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And next, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a really great way provided you are really present in that moment. It can be a gift when things go completely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

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

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of accounts about how that character impacted them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which that character signified for them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

What do you get asked most frequently by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It’s become such a joke, the entire episode about the stew, 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 believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the stew – because I remember the efforts made; such as adding pieces of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I wasn’t really identified her. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, 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

It’s been repeatedly stated that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you clarify this definitively?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother heard on the radio that they were opening a mall at Miranda, and she thought sounded like a nice name.

Chaos on Location

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was rather flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. All aspects were being assembled at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting or how we were going to do it. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Secret Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier than I learn dialogue often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I think had I not ended up in acting, I likely might have worked in involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice Ever Received

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever received?

During my time in secondary school, someone addressed us when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains so much more from setbacks than you learn from triumph. Success, you never really understand precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.