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In a candid interview, the acclaimed performer delves on topics ranging from her newest character as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Fish for a Day

Your latest character portrays the monarch 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 residing near Clovelly beach – because it’s 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 discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you always return to, and why?

The 1942 comedy To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. During my childhood, it would air on the ABC every now and again, and once I videotaped it. I found it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at the Ritz and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we attended and just laughed repeatedly. It is a masterful work of humor and all the actors in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is a brilliant comedy, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Gained Through 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 alongside Peter O’Brien – my husband now, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I abruptly sensed something wasn’t right. I recall glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then our performance regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe the insight gained in that moment was, first, always trust the individuals you’re working with. When you lose where you are, by looking and look at the people sharing the stage with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great direction provided you are fully engaged in that moment. It may become an unexpected boon when things go completely awry.

Heartening Exchanges with Fans

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 stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and the extent to which Eowyn signified for 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 question is invariably regarding that infamous meal that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of 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 bad cook? People are, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I go into great detail describing the components that constituted the stew – as I recall the efforts made; like they even put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to render it as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Encounter

What’s been your most cringeworthy run-in with a famous person?

I was at a fitness session and there was a woman lying down exercising, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted some joke inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and often when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know words. I still had to complete my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Name

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

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and she thought sounded like a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium on Set

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

While working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set of my career, and yet the final product turned out brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. Their concept of time there is unique. In Australia, you normally have a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was rather open ended – you come on set 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 the next day the methodology. And then you’d be in during a scene and be like, “What was that noise that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Hidden Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I memorise words a lot of the time, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I think had I not ended up in acting, I likely might have entered a field involving numbers, like math or finance.

The Best Guidance Given

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

During my time in secondary school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and they said, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from failure than you learn from success. With success, one rarely understand exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.