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During a revealing interview, the acclaimed performer reflects on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons gleaned from theatrical mistakes and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

Your latest role is Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Straight away, that particular fish 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 folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was growing up, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was hilarious. It’s 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 repeatedly. It is a great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched often.

The Best Insight Learned From a Fellow Actor

What’s the best lesson you took away from someone you’ve worked with?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but at the time we were not a couple. We were playing opposite each other and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned in that moment was, first, consistently rely on the individuals in your scene. When you lose your place, by looking and look at the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And secondly, to maintain a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present then. It may become an unexpected boon when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Fans

What’s been your most touching 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 what Eowyn meant to them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and how was it made, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? People are, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into great detail listing the components that constituted the concoction – because I remember the efforts made; such as put bits of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as bad as possible.

An Awkward Star Encounter

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted some joke inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Name

Articles have repeatedly stated that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter once and for all?

Indeed, I was christened for a district in Sydney. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at that location, and she thought sounded like a nice name.

Pandemonium on Location

What was the 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 final product turned out brilliantly. But they just work in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different way of working for me. The elements were all coming together 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 you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was the producer popping open some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I memorise words a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I likely might have entered a field involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Finest Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in secondary school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn so much more from failure than you learn from success. Success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.