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During a revealing interview, the acclaimed performer reflects on topics ranging from her latest role as Queen of the Cuttlefish to the profound lessons learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

The most recent 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?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near a specific shoreline – since it is like an institution, and people go there to see it. It strikes me as remarkable that a resident aquatic creature that people actually go and see and talk about – it holds a unique status.

A Cinematic Favorite to Return To

What film do you always return to, and why?

Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. When I was childhood, it would air on television every now and again, and once I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It’s Carole Lombard and 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 just laughed and laughed. It is a masterful work of comedy and all the actors in it are superb. Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

The Best Lesson Gained Through a Fellow Actor

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

I was doing A Doll’s House with Pete – now my spouse, but back then we were not a couple. We portrayed characters opposite each other and during the premiere I stumbled – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I was unaware of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I recall 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 in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and toward the actors you’re with, you will find where you’re meant to be in some way. It is a profoundly collaborative endeavor, performing live. And next, just to have a sense of fun about it. Occasionally when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way if you’re really present then. It can be a gift when things go completely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most touching interaction with a fan?

It’s not just one specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of accounts about how that character impacted them when they were growing up … events that occurred in their lives and how much that character meant to 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 always about the stew her character prepares for Aragorn. “Did that stew taste really that bad?” It has evolved into such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish to know what was in the pot, and its preparation method, and in your opinion her skills improved now, or do you believe she really is a poor chef? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the humour of that situation. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the stew – as I recall what they did; such as put bits of colored thread to simulate the appearance like bits of veins in the meat. They went to great detail to make it look as bad as they could.

A Cringeworthy Celebrity Encounter

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

I attended a pilates class and there was a woman lying down doing pilates, and the instructor remarked, “Hello Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I attempted a lighthearted remark inquiring, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they’re a journalist. I wasn’t really seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was the actress Miranda Richardson. Then I didn’t know words. I still had to stay and do my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was just too starstruck to say anything.

The Origin of a Moniker

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

Yes – I was named after the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were opening a mall at that location, and the name sounded like a pleasant choice.

Pandemonium on Location

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

While working in Brazil on Reaching for the Moon I experienced the most chaotic set of my career, and yet the final product emerged brilliantly. But they just work in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a call sheet and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of open ended – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a really different way of working for me. All aspects were all coming together at the very last minute, and sometimes the plan was unclear the next location or how we were going to do it. And then you’d be in the middle of a scene and wondering, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was a crew member opening a bottle on set, to start a party.” The result was great, but wow, it’s a really different style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I naturally possess good with numbers. I retain numbers easier than I memorise words 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 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 stated, “have no fear to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, because you learn far more from setbacks than is gained from success. Success, you never really comprehends precisely why it happened. With failure, you learn abundant.