Australian actress Miranda Otto is about to become more well known than perhaps she ever dreamed of. Her latest role as Eowyn in Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers will propel her angelic features into the collective memory of millions of movie goers worldwide.
Older than you may think, born in 1967, Miranda has been a well known figure in Australian theatre and film for some time, having been nominated for the Australian Film Institute’s Best Actress award on four occasions. However, The Two Towers is not her Hollywood debut. She has also appeared in The Thin Red Line, which was largely filmed in northern Australia, What Lies Beneath and Human Nature.
Unsure how fame in Lord of The Rings will affect her Miranda is keen to avoid much of the Los Angeles “scene” and still calls Australia home.
For a really worthwhile movie starring Otto, besides The Two Towers, try In the Winter Dark (1998). An adaptation of a novella by Tim Winton, the movie is set in the isolation of the Australian rural backblocks and the things that lurk therein. Also starring is Richard Roxburgh (Moulin Rouge), who was at one time Miranda’s partner.
Quick Facts from Admired Miranda (http://miranda.maidenfair.net/bio.html):
- Miranda is a Sagittarius.
- Miranda was named after the character Miranda in Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
- Her father is Barry Otto (Strictly Ballroom), one of Australia's leading actors. Her mother, Lindsay, gave up acting to design dresses after Miranda was born.
- Miranda gave up her pursuit of a medical career in favour of acting.
- Miranda filmed an Italian advertisement for diamonds with Brad Pitt in 2000.