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During a revealing interview, the acclaimed performer opens up on topics ranging from her latest role as a regal sea creature 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 character portrays 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, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Return To

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. When I was growing up, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled repeatedly. It’s such great piece of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing regularly.

A Priceless Insight Gained Through a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but at the time we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and on opening night I tripped up – I jumped ahead 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 expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned in that moment was, firstly, always trust the individuals in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, by looking and look at the people you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Memorable Interactions with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which 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 always about the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become a running gag, the whole thing involving that dish, and everyone wants to know what was in the pot, and its preparation method, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as put bits of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a 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 didn’t know what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I consider her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have repeatedly stated 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 named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Chaos 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 most chaotic set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a schedule and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day the methodology. And then I would be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer popping open some champagne during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I likely might have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Piece of Advice Given

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

When I was in secondary school, someone came to speak when we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains so much more from failure than you learn from triumph. With success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are abundant.