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In a candid discussion, the acclaimed performer reflects on topics ranging from her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from onstage mishaps 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; if you could be a fish for a day, which one would it be and why?

Without hesitation, that particular fish found at a specific shoreline – since it is like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. I just think it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely seek out and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Revisit

What film do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. During my growing up, it would air on television every now and again, and once I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Not long ago they were showing it at the Ritz and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of an acquaintance, and so we went and simply chuckled and laughed. It is a masterful work of comedy and the entire cast in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched often.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

What is the most valuable lesson you learned 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 during the premiere I tripped up – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance regained momentum and went really, really well. But I think what I learned then was, firstly, always trust the people in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and toward the actors you’re with, you will find your correct position somehow. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, just to have a lighthearted attitude about it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive direction if you’re fully engaged then. It can be an unexpected boon when things go absolutely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

Can you describe your most memorable encounter with a fan?

There isn't just one specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous accounts about what Eowyn impacted them when they were growing up … things that had happened in their lives and how much 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 always about 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 pot, and its preparation method, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? People are, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I provide great detail listing the components that constituted the concoction – because I remember what they did; like they even put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as unappetizing as possible.

An Awkward Celebrity Meeting

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I attended a fitness session and there was a woman on a mat exercising, and the teacher said to me, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I attempted some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when I meet another Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really identified her. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for words. I was obliged to complete my class, and I experienced intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed 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. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at Miranda, and she thought 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 that was the least organized set I’ve ever worked on, and yet the final product emerged brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is unique. Typically, you receive a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of 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 final moment, and sometimes the plan was unclear the next location or the methodology. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What caused that sound 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 goodness, it’s a really different approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I memorise words a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in secondary school, a speaker addressed us as we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is supremely valuable counsel, since one gains so much more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, one rarely understand exactly how it happened. With failure, you learn so much more.