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During a revealing interview, the acclaimed performer delves on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest role is 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 it be and why?

Straight away, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this picture. During my growing up, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and once I videotaped it. I found it was hilarious. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled and laughed. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall looking at 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, firstly, consistently rely on the people in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, by looking and toward the actors you’re with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great way if you’re really present then. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Admirers

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

It’s not just one particular interaction but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about how that character impacted them when they were younger … 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.

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

The most specific question is always about the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, 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 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 describing the components that made up the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to make it look as unappetizing as they could.

A Cringeworthy Star Meeting

What’s been your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman lying down exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really 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 complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin 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 clarify this definitively?

Indeed, I was christened for a district in Sydney. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Chaos 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 I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film emerged incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – 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 final moment, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was the producer popping open a bottle on set, because he’s making a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Secret Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I think if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have worked in something to do with numbers, like mathematics or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

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

During my time in high school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains far more from setbacks than you learn from triumph. Success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.