🔗 Share this article

Through a thoughtful discussion, the acclaimed performer delves on topics ranging from her latest role as a regal sea creature to the invaluable wisdom gleaned from onstage mishaps and meeting admirers.

If You Could Be a Sea Creature for a Day

Your latest 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 found at a specific shoreline – because it’s like an institution, and individuals visit to see it. It strikes me it’s cool that a resident aquatic creature that folks genuinely go and see and discuss – it’s a special fish.

A Film Staple to Revisit

What film do you repeatedly watch, and why?

The 1942 film To Be Or Not To Be. I love this film. During my growing up, it used to come on the ABC every now and again, and one time I recorded it. I found it was hilarious. It’s the legendary Carole Lombard and comedian Jack Benny. Recently they were showing 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 and laughed. It’s such masterful work of humor and the entire cast in it are superb. The director Mel Brooks did a remake in the 1980s – which was not as effective. But the original film is an exceptional farce, to be watched regularly.

A Priceless Lesson Learned From a Co-Star

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

Years ago I performed in A Doll’s House with Pete – my husband now, but at the time we were not a couple. We were playing opposite each other and on opening night I stumbled – I jumped ahead a few lines in the script. I was unaware what I’d done but I suddenly realised things were off. I recall looking at him, and he completely saved me, and then our performance regained momentum and proceeded splendidly. But I think what I learned in that moment was, firstly, always trust the individuals in your scene. When you lose where you are, if you turn around and look at the people sharing the stage with, you can rediscover where you’re meant to be somehow. It is a profoundly communal thing, acting on stage. And secondly, to maintain a sense of fun about it. Sometimes when a mistake occurs, things can ignite in a wonderfully positive way if you’re fully engaged in that moment. It may become an unexpected boon when things go absolutely the wrong way.

Memorable Exchanges with Admirers

Can you describe your most memorable interaction with a fan?

It’s not a single specific meeting but when I meet fans of Lord of the Rings, especially female fans, I am told numerous stories about what Eowyn meant to them when they were younger … things that had happened in their lives and how much Eowyn signified for 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 detailed inquiry concerns always about the stew that Eowyn serves Aragorn. “Did that stew taste as terrible as it looked?” It has evolved into such a joke, the entire episode about the stew, and everyone wants to know the contents of the pot, and how was it made, and in your opinion she’s a better cook now, or do you think she really is a bad cook? Fans seem, I think, obsessed with the comedy of that scene. And I provide lengthy descriptions listing the ingredients that constituted the concoction – because I remember the efforts made; like they even put bits of red cotton to simulate the appearance like blood vessels in the meat. The crew employed great detail to make it look as bad as possible.

An Awkward Star Meeting

What was your most cringeworthy celebrity encounter?

I was at a fitness session and another participant on a mat exercising, and the teacher said to me, “Oh, Miranda, this is Miranda.” And I made some joke about, “oh, are you a journalist?” Because it’s an uncommon moniker 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 Miranda Richardson. At that point, I was at a loss for words. I was obliged to stay and do my class, and I felt intense awkwardness. I wanted to say: “Goodness, I do know your work!” I consider she’s so fabulous and I was simply too awestruck to utter a syllable.

The Origin of a Moniker

It’s been repeatedly stated that you were given your name from Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and yet I’ve read stating otherwise – can you clarify this definitively?

Yes – I was christened for the Sydney suburb. My mother learned via broadcast that they were inaugurating a mall at Miranda, 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 least organized set of my career, and yet the final product turned out brilliantly. But the local crew operated in such a different way. Their concept of time there is really different. In Australia, you receive a schedule and you have to be on set punctually. But this was sort of flexible – one would appear whenever you happen to be ready. It was a novel way of working for me. All aspects were being assembled at the very last minute, and sometimes they wouldn’t know 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 wondering, “What caused that sound that just interrupted the scene? Oh, it’s a crew member popping open a bottle on set, because he’s making a party.” The result was great, but goodness, it’s a distinct approach to film-making.

A Hidden Skill

What are you secretly good at?

I’ve always been an aptitude for numbers. I retain numbers more readily than I memorise words often, I simply have a numerically-oriented mind. So I believe had I not ended up in acting, I likely might have entered a field something to do with numbers, like math or finance.

The Finest Piece of Advice Given

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

During my time in secondary school, someone addressed us as we were graduating and they said, “don’t be afraid to fail” … an idea I consider is the best piece of advice, since one gains far more from setbacks than is gained from triumph. Success, you never really understand precisely why it happened. Failure, the lessons are abundant.