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During a revealing interview, the acclaimed performer delves on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

Your latest role is Queen 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, the blue groper found at Clovelly beach – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit to see 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 Film Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was childhood, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were playing 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 great piece of humor and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched often.

The Best Insight Gained Through a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember looking at him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. When you lose your place, by looking and look at the people you’re with, you will find your correct position in some way. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And next, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present in that moment. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Fans

Can you describe your most memorable encounter with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about how that character meant to them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support 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 that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing about the stew, and everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? People are, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the components that made up the stew – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to great detail to render it as bad as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of who you are!” I think her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have repeatedly stated that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned stating otherwise – can you clarify this once and for all?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium on Set

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic set of my career, and yet the final product turned out incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. In Australia, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and sometimes the plan was unclear the next location the next day the methodology. And then I would be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening a bottle on set, to start a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess 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 probably would have entered a field something to do with numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice Given

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

During my time in secondary school, someone addressed us as we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. With success, you never really understand precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are so much more.