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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 invaluable wisdom learned through onstage mishaps and fan interactions.

If You Could Be a Fish 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 it be and why?

Straight away, the blue groper residing near Clovelly beach – since it is a local landmark, and people go there specifically to spot it. I just think it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that people actually seek out and talk about – 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 love this film. When I was growing up, it used to come on television occasionally, and one time I recorded it. I found it was so funny. It’s 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 attended and just laughed repeatedly. It is a masterful work of humor and the entire cast in it are fantastic. The director Mel Brooks remade it in the 1980s – that wasn’t as effective. But Lubitsch's version is an exceptional farce, worth viewing often.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From 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 – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We were playing as scene partners and during the premiere I tripped up – I jumped ahead some dialogue in the script. I didn’t know of my error but I abruptly sensed things were off. I remember looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then the scene took off again and proceeded splendidly. But I think the insight gained then was, first, always trust the individuals you’re working with. If you don’t know your place, by looking and toward the actors sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, performing live. And secondly, just to have a sense of fun about it. Sometimes when something goes wrong, things actually spark off in a wonderfully positive way provided you are really present in that moment. It can be a gift when things go completely awry.

Heartening Interactions with Admirers

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

It’s not just one particular interaction but when I encounter devotees of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I hear a lot of stories about what Eowyn 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 during those periods.

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. “Was the stew as terrible as it looked?” It’s become such a joke, the whole thing involving that dish, and all fans wish to know the contents of the stew, and how was it made, and do you think she’s a better cook now, or do you believe she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, fascinated by the comedy of that situation. And I go into great detail describing the components that constituted the concoction – because I remember the efforts made; such as adding pieces of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed extreme measures to make it look as bad as possible.

A Cringeworthy Star Meeting

What was your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

I was at a pilates class and another participant on a mat exercising, and the instructor remarked, “Oh, Miranda, meet Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “might you be a journalist?” Since Miranda is an uncommon moniker and most of the time when someone’s a Miranda, they work in media. I hadn't properly seeing who it was. And when she got up, it was Miranda Richardson. Then I was at a loss for words. I still had to complete my class, and I felt so embarrassed. I wished to explain: “Oh my gosh, I am aware of your work!” I think 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 named after Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet you've mentioned stating otherwise – can you settle the matter definitively?

Indeed, I was named after the Sydney suburb. Mum heard on the radio that they were opening a shopping centre at that location, and she thought sounded like a pleasant choice.

Chaos on Location

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 the local crew operated in such a different way. The sense of time there is really different. Typically, you receive a call sheet and must arrive on set by a certain time. But this was sort of flexible – you come on set at one's convenience. It was a really different way of working for me. The elements were all coming together at the final moment, and at times the plan was unclear where they were shooting the next day how we were going to do it. And then I would be in the middle of a scene and be like, “What was that noise that disturbed the scene? Ah, it was the producer opening a bottle during filming, to start a party.” It turned out great, but goodness, it’s a distinct style of film-making.

A Secret Talent

Do you have a secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I memorise numbers easier than I learn dialogue a lot of the time, I’ve just got that kind of a brain. So I think if I hadn’t pursued acting, I probably would have entered a field involving numbers, like mathematics or finance.

The Best Guidance Ever Received

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

During my time in secondary school, a speaker came to speak when we were graduating and they said, “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, you never really comprehends exactly how it happened. With failure, the lessons are abundant.