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In a candid discussion, the acclaimed performer reflects on topics ranging from her newest character as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from theatrical mistakes and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

Your latest character portrays the monarch 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 – 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 seek out and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Return To

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my childhood, it would air on the ABC occasionally, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we attended and just laughed repeatedly. It is a great piece of comedy and the entire cast in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

What is the most valuable lesson you took away from someone you’ve worked with?

I was doing A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We were playing 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 suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe what I learned then was, firstly, always trust the people you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, by looking and look at the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position in some way. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great way provided you are really present in that moment. It can be a gift when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

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

There isn't a single particular interaction but when I encounter devotees 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 the extent to which Eowyn signified for 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 specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It’s become a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and all fans wish to know the contents of the stew, and how was it made, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the stew – because I remember what they did; such as adding pieces of colored thread 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’s been your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and often when I meet another Miranda, they work in media. 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 felt so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

It’s been confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned you saying otherwise – can you clarify this definitively?

Indeed, I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, 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 was that noise that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s the producer popping open some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Hidden Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I memorise words a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have worked in something to do with numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, a speaker came to speak when we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.