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In a candid conversation, the acclaimed performer reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Fish 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 you choose and why?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near Clovelly beach – since it is like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. I just think it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Return To

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my childhood, it used to come on the ABC occasionally, and once I videotaped it. I found it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and comedian 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 attended and just laughed repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

The Best Insight 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 – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. When you lose your place, by looking and look at the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great direction if you’re fully engaged then. It may become an unexpected boon when things go completely awry.

Memorable Interactions with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

There isn't a single specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I hear a lot of accounts about what Eowyn impacted them when they were younger … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which that character signified for them and was a form of support to them in those times.

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

The most specific question is always about that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into a running gag, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the pot, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that situation. And I go into great detail listing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – because I remember the efforts made; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as bad as possible.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What’s been your most cringeworthy run-in with a famous person?

I was at a pilates class and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Name

It’s been repeatedly stated 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 settle the matter once and for all?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at Miranda, and the name seemed a nice name.

Pandemonium on Set

What’s the most 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 of my career, and yet the film emerged brilliantly. But they just work in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is unique. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of open ended – you come on set whenever you happen to be ready. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were being assembled at the very last minute, and at times they wouldn’t know where they were shooting or the methodology. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening some champagne during filming, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like mathematics or accounting.

The Finest Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in secondary school, a speaker came to speak when we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn so much more from failure than you learn from success. With success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. With failure, the lessons are abundant.