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During a revealing conversation, the acclaimed performer reflects on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent 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?

Straight away, that particular fish residing near Clovelly beach – since it is a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Film Favorite to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was growing up, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and one time I videotaped 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 also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we attended and simply chuckled repeatedly. It is a great piece of comedy and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but at the time we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I recall glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. But I think the insight gained then was, first, always trust the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, if you turn around and look at the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position in some way. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

What’s been your most touching interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about how that character meant to them when they were younger … 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 question is invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into great detail listing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – as I recall what they did; such as adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What was 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, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and often when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, 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 experienced so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

It’s been confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you clarify this definitively?

Indeed, I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film emerged brilliantly. But they just work in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a call sheet and must arrive on set punctually. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a novel approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the final moment, and at times the plan was unclear where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in during a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member popping open some champagne during filming, to start a party.” The result was great, but wow, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I likely might have entered a field involving numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Guidance Given

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

During my time in secondary school, a speaker addressed us as we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from failure than is gained from success. Success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.