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Through a thoughtful interview, the acclaimed performer opens up on topics ranging from her latest role as a regal sea creature to the profound lessons learned through theatrical mistakes and meeting admirers.

Given the Chance to Become a Fish for a Day

The most recent role is 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 residing near a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and people go there to see it. It strikes me as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely seek out and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I adore this picture. When I was childhood, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and once I recorded it. I just thought it was so funny. It stars the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was also the favourite film of a friend of mine, and so we attended and simply chuckled and laughed. It’s such great piece of humor and the entire cast in it are fantastic. Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – which was not successful. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from someone a colleague?

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but back then we were not together. We portrayed characters as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I didn’t know what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I remember looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance regained momentum 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. When you lose where you are, by looking and look at the people you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be somehow. It’s such communal thing, acting on stage. And next, just to have a sense of fun regarding it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way provided you are fully engaged then. It can be an unexpected boon when things go completely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Fans

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

It’s not just one particular interaction 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 growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much Eowyn meant to them and was some kind of help to them in those times.

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

The most detailed inquiry concerns always about that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It’s become such a joke, the entire episode about the stew, and everyone wants to know the contents of the stew, and its preparation method, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I go into lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the concoction – as I recall the efforts made; such as put bits of red cotton to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. They went to great detail to make it look as unappetizing as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

What was your most embarrassing run-in with a famous person?

I was at a pilates class and another participant lying down doing pilates, and the instructor said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an unusual name 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. At that point, I didn’t know what to say. I still had to stay and do my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Oh my gosh, I do know who you are!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Source of a Name

Articles have repeatedly stated that you were named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read you saying otherwise – can you clarify this once and for all?

Indeed, I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were opening a mall at Miranda, and she thought seemed a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Set

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

While working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic 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 schedule and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was rather flexible – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. The elements were all coming together at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know where they were shooting or how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in during a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that disturbed the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open a bottle during filming, to start a party.” The result was excellent, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I memorise numbers more readily than I learn dialogue often, I’ve just got a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not pursued acting, I likely might have entered a field involving numbers, like mathematics or accounting.

The Finest Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, someone came to speak as we were graduating and stated, “have no fear to fail” … which I think is the best piece of advice, because you learn far more from setbacks than you learn from success. With success, you never really understand exactly how it happened. Failure, you learn abundant.