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During a revealing discussion, the acclaimed performer reflects on topics ranging from her newest character as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest character portrays 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?

Straight away, that particular fish residing near a specific shoreline – since it is like an institution, and individuals visit specifically to spot it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually seek out and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

Which movie 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 television every now and again, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was also the favourite film of an acquaintance, and so we attended and simply chuckled repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing 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 alongside Peter O’Brien – now my spouse, but back then we were not together. 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 suddenly realised something wasn’t right. I recall glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance took off again and went really, really well. But I think what I learned in that moment was, first, consistently rely on the people you’re working with. If you don’t know where you are, by looking and toward the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover your correct position somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a really great direction provided you are fully engaged then. It can be a gift when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching encounter with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, particularly women, I am told numerous accounts about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn meant to them and was a form of support to them during those periods.

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

The most detailed question is invariably regarding the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, in my view, fascinated by the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the components that constituted the stew – as I recall what they did; such as adding pieces of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as bad as they could.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman lying down exercising, and the teacher said to me, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made a lighthearted remark about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an unusual name and often when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And as she rose, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I didn’t know words. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

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?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. Mum heard on the radio that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at that location, and the name sounded like a nice name.

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 final product turned out brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept 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 novel way of working for me. All aspects were all coming together at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know the next location 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 popping open a bottle during filming, to start a party.” It turned out excellent, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Hidden Skill

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words often, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I think had I not pursued acting, I likely might have entered a field involving numbers, like mathematics or accounting.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

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

During my time in secondary school, someone addressed us as we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn so much more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. Success, one rarely understand exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.