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During a revealing conversation, the acclaimed performer opens up on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through theatrical mistakes and fan interactions.

If You Could Be 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 it be and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – because it’s a local landmark, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that there’s a local fish that people actually go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. When I was growing up, it used to come on television occasionally, 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 playing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It’s such great piece of humor 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 often.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but at the time we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward some dialogue in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance regained momentum and went really, really well. However, I believe what I learned then was, first, always trust the individuals you’re working with. If you don’t know where you are, if you turn around and toward the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude regarding it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

Can you describe your most memorable encounter with a fan?

There isn't 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 impacted them when they were younger … 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.

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

The most specific inquiry concerns invariably regarding the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into a running gag, the whole thing about the stew, and everyone wants to know what was in the stew, and its preparation method, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? People are, I think, obsessed with the humour of that situation. And I provide great detail listing the components that made up the concoction – as I recall what they did; such as adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as they could.

An Awkward Star Encounter

What was your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the teacher said to me, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and most of the time when I meet another 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 didn’t know words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of who you are!” I think she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have repeatedly stated that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Yes – I was christened for a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at Miranda, and the name seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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 I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set by a certain time. 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 final moment, and at times they wouldn’t know the next location the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in during a scene and be like, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open some champagne on set, because he’s making a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I think had I not ended up in acting, I probably would have worked in something to do with numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

When I was in secondary school, someone addressed us as we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn so much more from failure than is gained from success. Success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are abundant.