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Through a thoughtful interview, the acclaimed performer opens up on subjects as varied as her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent 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, the blue groper found at a specific shoreline – since it is a local landmark, and people go there to see it. I just think it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and talk about – it’s a special fish.

A Film Favorite to Return To

Which movie do you repeatedly watch, 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 one time I videotaped it. I found it was hilarious. It stars Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were playing it at a cinema and it turned out that it was the preferred movie of a friend of mine, and so we attended and simply chuckled repeatedly. It’s such masterful work of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not successful. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, to be watched often.

A Priceless Insight Learned From a Co-Star

What’s the best lesson you learned from someone you’ve worked with?

Years ago I performed in 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 what I’d done but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. However, I believe the insight gained then was, firstly, consistently rely on the people in your scene. If you don’t know where you are, if you turn around and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be in some way. It’s such collaborative endeavor, acting on stage. And next, to maintain a sense of fun about it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things can ignite in a really great direction if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It may become a gift when things go completely awry.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most memorable encounter with a fan?

It’s not a single specific meeting but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous stories about how that character meant to them when they were growing up … 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 specific question is always about that infamous meal her character prepares for Aragorn. “Was the stew really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode involving that dish, and everyone wants to know what was in the pot, and its preparation method, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, in my view, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions describing the components that constituted the stew – because I remember what they did; such as adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. They went to extreme measures to render it as bad as they could.

An Awkward Celebrity Encounter

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

I was at a pilates class and another participant on a mat doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke inquiring, “might you be a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and often when I meet another Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly identified her. And as she rose, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for what to say. I still had to complete my class, and I experienced so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I do know your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to utter a syllable.

The Source of a Moniker

Articles have confidently claimed that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you settle the matter once and for all?

Indeed, I was named after a district in Sydney. My mother heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at that location, and she thought seemed a nice name.

Chaos on Location

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

When I was working in Brazil for the film Reaching for the Moon that was the least organized set of my career, and yet the film turned out incredibly well. But the local crew operated in a distinct manner. The sense of time there is unique. In Australia, you normally have a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – one would appear at one's convenience. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were being assembled at the final moment, and sometimes they wouldn’t know the next location or the methodology. And then you’d be in during a scene and wondering, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Ah, it was a crew member popping open some champagne during filming, because he’s making a party.” It turned out excellent, but wow, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Hidden Talent

What are you secretly good at?

I naturally possess an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I simply have that kind of a brain. So I believe if I hadn’t ended up in acting, I likely might have entered a field something to do with numbers, like math or accounting.

The Best Piece of Advice Ever Received

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

During my time in high school, a speaker came to speak as we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … which I think is supremely valuable counsel, because you learn far more from failure than you learn from triumph. Success, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are so much more.