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Through a thoughtful conversation, the acclaimed performer opens up on subjects as varied as her newest character as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest role is Queen of the Cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; supposing you had the opportunity to be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Straight away, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually seek out and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. When I was growing up, it used to come on television every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and just laughed and laughed. It’s such great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Insight Gained Through a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but at the time we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained then was, firstly, always trust the people you’re working with. If you don’t know where you are, if you turn around and toward the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And secondly, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things actually spark off in a really great way if you’re really present in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most memorable interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about what Eowyn meant to them when they were younger … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for them and was some kind of help to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed question is always about that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It’s become such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and how was it made, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? People are, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the components that made up the stew – because I remember what they did; such as put bits 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 Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted some joke inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I am aware of who you are!” I consider her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Moniker

It’s been confidently claimed 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 once and for all?

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

Chaos on Location

What’s the most 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 of my career, and yet the film emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a schedule and you have to be on set by a certain time. But this was rather open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes the plan was unclear the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then you’d 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 a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Secret Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I memorise words a lot of the time, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I think if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

When I was in secondary school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from failure than is gained from success. Success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn so much more.