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During a revealing discussion, the acclaimed performer reflects on subjects as varied as her newest character as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be 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 it be and why?

Without hesitation, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. I just think as remarkable that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. During my growing up, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and one time I recorded it. I just thought it was so funny. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we attended and simply chuckled and laughed. It is a masterful work of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

The Best Insight Learned From a Fellow Actor

What’s the best lesson you took away from someone you’ve worked with?

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, always trust the people you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, by looking and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such communal thing, performing live. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It may become an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Interactions with Fans

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

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, 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 meant to them and was a form of support to them in those times.

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

The most specific question is always about that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the entire episode about the stew, and all fans wish to know what was in the stew, 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, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted 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 possible.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What was your most cringeworthy run-in with a famous person?

I attended a pilates class and another participant on a mat doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know what to say. I still had to stay and do my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

Articles have confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you settle the matter once and for all?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name sounded like a nice name.

Chaos on Set

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

When I was working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon that was the most chaotic set of my career, and yet the final product emerged incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. The elements were all coming together at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I memorise words often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Finest Guidance Ever Received

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

When I was 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 exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn abundant.