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Through a thoughtful conversation, the acclaimed performer reflects on subjects as varied as her latest role as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons gleaned from onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest role is the monarch of the cuttlefish in The Pout-Pout Fish; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would you choose and why?

Straight away, that particular fish residing near a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. It strikes me as remarkable that there’s a local fish that folks genuinely seek out and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

The 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 one time I videotaped it. I just thought it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and just laughed repeatedly. It is a great piece of comedy and all the actors in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, to be watched regularly.

A Priceless Insight Gained Through a Co-Star

What’s the best lesson you learned 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 a couple. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I stumbled – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I was unaware of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe the insight gained then was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, if you turn around and toward the people sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things can ignite 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 Exchanges with Admirers

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

There isn't a single specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts 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 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. “Was the stew really that bad?” It’s become such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think her skills improved now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I go into lengthy descriptions listing the components that constituted the concoction – as I recall what they did; like they even adding pieces of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to make it look as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

What’s been your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and another participant on a mat doing pilates, and the teacher remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly identified her. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Goodness, I am aware of who you are!” I consider her talent is immense and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

Articles have repeatedly stated that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you clarify this once and for all?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at Miranda, and she thought sounded like a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium on Location

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

While working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the film turned out brilliantly. But they just work in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a call sheet and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was rather flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a really different approach for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes the plan was unclear the next location or the methodology. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member opening some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers more readily 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 likely might 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?

During my time in high school, a speaker addressed us when we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, since one gains so much more from setbacks than is gained from success. With success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. Failure, you learn so much more.