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During a revealing interview, the acclaimed performer delves on subjects as varied as her newest character as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent 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 you choose and why?

Straight away, 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 there’s a local fish that folks genuinely seek out and discuss – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Staple to Revisit

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this film. During my childhood, it would air on television every now and again, and one time I videotaped it. I found it was so funny. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Not long ago they were playing it at a cinema and I discovered that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we went and simply chuckled repeatedly. It is a great piece of comedy and the entire cast in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t successful. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, 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 with Pete – now my spouse, but at the time we were not together. We were playing as scene partners and on opening night I tripped up – I skipped forward a few lines in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember glancing toward him, and he expertly rescued the moment, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think the insight gained in that moment was, firstly, always trust the individuals in your scene. When you lose where you are, by looking and toward the actors you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, to maintain a lighthearted attitude about it. Occasionally when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a really great way if you’re fully engaged then. It may become an unexpected boon when things go completely the wrong way.

Memorable Interactions with Admirers

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

It’s not a single specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about how that character 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 a form of support to them in those times.

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

The most specific 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 its preparation method, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as put bits of colored thread to make it look like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as unappetizing as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Meeting

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

I was at a fitness session and another participant lying down exercising, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made some joke inquiring, “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 when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to complete my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to say anything.

The Source of a Moniker

It’s been confidently claimed that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you clarify this definitively?

Yes – I was named after a district in Sydney. Mum learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a shopping centre at that location, and she thought seemed a nice name.

Chaos 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 emerged incredibly well. But the local crew operated in a distinct manner. Their concept of time there is unique. Typically, you normally have a schedule and must arrive on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes the plan was unclear where they were shooting the next day the methodology. And then I would 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 a bottle on set, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Secret Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been good with numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I memorise words often, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I likely might have worked in involving numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Guidance Given

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

When I was in secondary school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, because you learn so much more from failure than you learn from triumph. With success, one rarely understand precisely why it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.