The actress Shares Insights on Acting, Fandom, and Life's Gifts.

During a revealing discussion, the acclaimed performer opens up on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

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 you choose and why?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely seek out and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my growing up, 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 comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we attended and just laughed and laughed. It’s such great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

What’s the best lesson you learned from someone a colleague?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but back then we were not together. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I was unaware of my error but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance regained momentum 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 toward the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position in some way. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Interactions with Admirers

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

It’s not a single particular interaction 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 Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

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

The most specific question is always about the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew really that bad?” It has evolved into a running gag, the whole thing about the stew, and everyone wants to know what was in the pot, and how was it made, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – because I remember 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 make it look as unappetizing as they could.

An Awkward Star Encounter

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant on a mat exercising, and the teacher remarked, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker 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. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to stay and do my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

Articles have repeatedly stated 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 the Sydney suburb. Mum heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Set

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 film emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location or the methodology. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” It turned out great, but wow, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I likely might have worked in involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Piece of Advice Given

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

During my time in secondary school, a speaker addressed us as we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains far more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.