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During a revealing discussion, the acclaimed performer opens up on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent 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, the blue groper residing near Clovelly beach – since it is like an institution, and people go there specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was growing up, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we attended and simply chuckled repeatedly. It is a great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Fellow Actor

What’s the best lesson you took away 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 a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I stumbled – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned in that moment was, firstly, consistently rely on the individuals in your scene. When you lose your place, if you turn around and look at the people sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And secondly, just to have a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great way if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It can be a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Admirers

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

There isn't just one particular interaction but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of accounts about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn meant to them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

What do you get asked most frequently by Lord of the Rings fans?

The most detailed inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? People are, in my view, obsessed with the humour of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the components that constituted the concoction – because I remember the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

What’s been your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I hadn't properly identified her. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know what to say. I was obliged to complete my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know who you are!” I think her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source 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 settle the matter definitively?

Indeed, I was christened for the Sydney suburb. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at Miranda, and the name sounded like 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 least organized set of my career, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated 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 by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear 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 the methodology. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s the producer popping open some champagne during filming, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Secret Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I likely might have worked in involving numbers, like mathematics or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

When I was in high school, a speaker addressed us as we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn far more from setbacks than is gained from success. With success, one rarely comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.