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During a revealing discussion, the acclaimed performer delves on subjects as varied as her newest character as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish 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?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Film Staple to Return To

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. During my childhood, it used to come on television every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I found it was so funny. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently 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 great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But Lubitsch's version is a brilliant comedy, to be watched often.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From 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 with Pete – my husband now, but at the time we were not together. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance regained momentum and went really, really well. However, I believe the insight gained then was, first, always trust the individuals you’re working with. If you don’t know where you are, by looking and toward the actors you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, to maintain a sense of fun regarding it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It may become a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching encounter 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 stories about how that character meant to them when they were younger … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which that character meant to them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish to know what was in the stew, and its preparation method, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? People are, in my view, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – because I remember what they did; like they even adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Encounter

What’s been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a pilates class and another participant on a mat exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. 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 words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I think her talent is immense and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Name

Articles have confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

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

Pandemonium on Location

What was the 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 they just work in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. 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 or how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member popping open some champagne during filming, to start a party.” It turned out great, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I think if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

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

When I was in secondary school, someone came to speak when we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn far more from failure than is gained from success. With success, you never really comprehends precisely why it happened. With failure, you learn so much more.