| Miranda Otto | |
| Birth Date: | 16 December 1967 |
| Birth Place: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 1986–present |
| Education: | National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA) |
| Children: | 1 |
| Known For: | Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings |
| Parents: | Barry Otto (father) |
| Relatives: | Gracie Otto (half-sister) |
Miranda Otto (born 16 December 1967) is an Australian actress. She is the daughter of actors Barry and Lindsay Otto and the paternal half-sister of actress Gracie Otto. Otto began her acting career in 1986 at age 18 and appeared in a variety of independent and major studio films in Australia. She made her major film debut in Emma's War in 1987 in which she played a teenager who moves to Australia's bush country during World War II.[1]
After a decade of critically acclaimed roles in Australian films, Otto gained Hollywood's attention during the 1990s after appearing in supporting roles in the films The Thin Red Line and What Lies Beneath. She rose to fame in the early 2000s for playing Éowyn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series, based on the classic fantasy novel of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien.
Otto was born on 16 December 1967[2] in Brisbane and was raised there and in Newcastle. She briefly lived in Hong Kong following her parents' divorce at age six.[3] She spent weekends and holidays with her father in Sydney and developed an interest in acting through him.[4]
During her childhood, Otto and her friends wrote scripts and designed costumes and flyers in their spare time.[5] She appeared in several plays at the Nimrod Theatre, which attracted the attention of casting director Faith Martin. Subsequently, Otto received a role in the 1986 World War II drama Emma's War.[4]
She had wanted to be a ballerina but was forced to abandon this goal due to moderate scoliosis.[3] Otto graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney in 1990.[6] Prior to graduation, she appeared in minor film roles including Initiation (1987) and The 13th Floor (1988).[7]
Otto's first post-graduation film role in 1991, as Nell Tiscowitz in The Girl Who Came Late, was her breakthrough role which brought her to the attention of the Australian film industry and the general public. In the film, directed by Kathy Mueller, she starred as a young woman who could communicate with horses. Her appearance garnered Otto her first Australian Film Institute nomination for the best actress award the following year.
Otto's next role was in The Last Days of Chez Nous (1991), which portrayed the complex relationships between the members of an Australian family. The film earned Otto her second Australian Film Institute nomination, this time for the best supporting actress award.
In 1993, Otto co-starred with Noah Taylor in the sexually provocative comedy film The Nostradamus Kid, which was based on the memories of author Bob Ellis during the 1960s. Otto was drawn to the film because she was "fascinated by the period and the people who came out of it".[8] A small role in the independent film Sex Is a Four Letter Word followed in 1995.[9]
In 1995, she began to doubt her career choice as she failed to get the parts for which she auditioned. She retreated to her home in Newcastle for almost a year, during which she painted her mother's house.[6] In 1996, director Shirley Barrett cast Otto as a shy waitress in the film Love Serenade. She played Dimity Hurley, a lonely young woman who competes with her older sister Vicki-Ann for the attention of a famous DJ from Brisbane. She starred in the 1997 films The Well and Doing Time for Patsy Cline. When Otto received the film script for The Well, she refused to read it, fearing that she would not get the part. Otto believed that she could not convincingly play the role of Katherine, who is supposed to be 18, as she was 30 at the time.[6] The film, directed by Samantha Lang, starred Otto as a teenager involved in a claustrophobic relationship with a lonely older woman. The Well received mixed reviews; critic Paul Fisher wrote that Otto's performance was not "convincing" as she was "playing another repetitious character about whom little is revealed", while Louise Keller stated that Otto had delivered "her best screen performance yet."[10] Otto earned her third Australian Film Institute nomination for the film. Later that year, she co-starred with Richard Roxburgh in the drama Doing Time for Patsy Cline. The low-budget Australian film required Otto to perform country music standards and also received mixed reviews from film critics.[11]
Soon after the release of The Well and Doing Time for Patsy Cline, magazines and other media outlets were eager to profile the actress. In 1997, Otto began dating her Doing Time for Patsy Cline co-star Richard Roxburgh. Her involvement with Roxburgh made her a regular subject of Australian tabloid magazines and media at the time, a role to which she was unaccustomed.[12]
Otto's next project was the romantic comedy Dead Letter Office (1998). The film was Otto's first with her father, Barry, who makes a brief appearance. In the Winter Dark, directed by James Bogle, followed later that year. Otto played Ronnie, a pregnant woman recently abandoned by her boyfriend. The film was a critical success in Australia, and Otto was nominated for her fourth Australian Film Institute Award.[13] A small role in The Thin Red Line (1998) led to further film roles outside of Australia,[14] such as in Italy, where she co-starred as Ruth in the low-budget Italian film La volpe a tre zampe ("The Three-legged Fox"),[15] produced in 2001 and broadcast for the first time on Italian television in March 2009.[16]
Otto's first Hollywood role was the suspense thriller What Lies Beneath in 2000. She played Mary Feur, a mysterious next-door neighbour.[17]
In 2001, she was cast as a naturalist in the comedy Human Nature. Writer Charlie Kaufman, impressed by her audition two years earlier for his film Being John Malkovich, arranged for Otto to audition and meet with the film's director Michel Gondry.[18] Critic Jeffrey M. Anderson criticised Otto's French accent and wrote that she "doesn't seem to mesh with what's going on around her".[19]
Also in 2001, Otto appeared in the BBC adaptation of Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now, as a strong-willed American Southerner.[20]
In 1999, Otto was cast as Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, after Uma Thurman turned down the role.[21] Director Peter Jackson cast her immediately after viewing the audition video she had filmed in Australia.[22] For the role, Otto spent six weeks learning stunt choreography and horse riding.[23] Otto's character was introduced in the trilogy's second film in 2002 and appeared in the third film, , the following year. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a critical and financial success, and the third film won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2004.[24] Otto's performance earned her an Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films nomination for Best Supporting Actress.Otto's next project was playing the lead in the Australian film Danny Deckchair (2003). She then took on the Australian television miniseries Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story (2004). The film is a drama that portrays the story of Lindy Chamberlain, who was wrongfully convicted in 1982 of killing her baby daughter, Azaria, in one of the country's most publicized murder trials. Otto was cast as Chamberlain, and her husband, Peter O'Brien, was cast as prosecutor Ian Barker. She was drawn to the role because it provided her with the "prospect of exploring an unconventional character."[25] At the 2005 Logie Awards, Otto won Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role.[26] Director Steven Spielberg, impressed by Otto's performance in The Lord of the Rings, called her to ask if she would play opposite Tom Cruise in the big-budget science fiction film War of the Worlds (2005). Otto, pregnant at the time, believed she would have to turn down the role, but the script was reworked to accommodate her. After giving birth to her daughter, she took a rest from films to concentrate on motherhood and theatre roles in Australia.[1]
In 2007, Otto starred as Cricket Stewart, the wife of a successful director, in the television miniseries The Starter Wife.[27] That same year, she was cast in the American television series Cashmere Mafia. In the series she plays Juliet Draper, a successful female executive who must rely on her friends to juggle the demands of a career and family in New York City.[28] Otto chose to star in the series because "American television at the moment is so interesting and, particularly, the characters for women are so fantastic" and she "liked the idea of having a character over a long period of time and developing it."[29] The series was cancelled in May 2008.[30]
In 2013 Otto played the role of American poet Elizabeth Bishop in Brazilian director Bruno Barreto’s Reaching for the Moon.[31] Otto starred opposite Stephanie Sigman and Anthony LaPaglia in the horror prequel , directed by David F. Sandberg.[32] The film was released on 12 August 2017.[33] She portrayed Zelda Spellman in Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020).[34]
On 31 May 2020, Otto joined Josh Gad's YouTube series Reunited Apart, which reunites the cast of popular films through video-conferencing and promotes donations to non-profit charities, with her fellow Lord of the Rings cast and crew members.[35] On 15 June 2022, Otto was announced to be reprising her role as Éowyn from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series in the anime fantasy film (2024), a prequel directed by Kenji Kamiyama, to which she would serve as the narrator.
On 13 November 2023, Otto was announced for ABC drama series Ladies In Black.[36]
Otto made her theatrical debut in the 1986 production of The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant for the Sydney Theatre Company.[37] Three more theatrical productions for the Sydney Theatre Company followed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2002, she returned to the stage playing Nora Helmer in A Doll's House opposite her future husband Peter O'Brien. Otto's performance earned her a 2003 Helpmann Award nomination and the MO Award for "Best Female Actor in a Play".[38]
Her next stage role was in the psychological thriller Boy Gets Girl (2005), in which she played Theresa, a journalist for a New York magazine. Otto committed to the project days before she found out she was pregnant. Robyn Nevin, the director, rescheduled the production from December 2004 to September 2005 so that Otto could appear in it.
On 1 January 2003,[39] she married actor Peter O'Brien, after the two met while performing in A Doll's House.[40] Otto and O'Brien have one child, a daughter.[40] After the birth of her daughter, Otto limited her work to spend more time with her family at their home in Australia.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Emma's War | Emma Grange | ||
| 1987 | Initiation | Stevie | ||
| 1988 | The 13th Floor | Rebecca | ||
| 1992 | Daydream Believer | Nell Tiscowitz | Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress | |
| 1992 | The Last Days of Chez Nous | Annie | Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Female Supporting Actor | |
| 1993 | The Nostradamus Kid | Jennie O'Brien | ||
| 1995 | Sex Is a Four Letter Word | Viv | ||
| 1996 | Love Serenade | Dimity Hurley | ||
| 1997 | The Well | Katherine | Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress Nominated—Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Female Actor | |
| True Love and Chaos | Mimi | |||
| Doing Time for Patsy Cline | Patsy Cline | |||
| 1998 | Dead Letter Office | Alice Walsh | Nominated—Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Female Actor | |
| In the Winter Dark | Ronnie | Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actress | ||
| The Thin Red Line | Marty Bell | |||
| 2000 | Kin | Anna | ||
| What Lies Beneath | Mary Feur | |||
| 2001 | The Three-Legged Fox | Ruth | ||
| Human Nature | Gabrielle | |||
| 2002 | Close Your Eyes | Clara Strother | ||
| Julie Walking Home | Julie | |||
| Éowyn | Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Internet Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress Internet Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance Nominated—Empire Award for Best Actress Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |||
| 2003 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Internet Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—International Online Cinema Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Danny Deckchair | Glenda Lake | |||
| 2004 | In My Father's Den | Penny | ||
| Flight of the Phoenix | Kelly Johnson | |||
| 2005 | War of the Worlds | Mary Ann Ferrier | ||
| 2009 | In Her Skin | Mrs Barber | ||
| Blessed | Bianca | |||
| 2010 | South Solitary | Meredith Appleton | ||
| Get It at Goode's | Patty Williams | |||
| 2013 | Reaching for the Moon | Elizabeth Bishop | ||
| The Turning | Sherry | |||
| 2014 | I, Frankenstein | Queen Leonore | ||
| The Homesman | Theoline Belknapp | |||
| 2015 | The Daughter | Charlotte Finch | AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role | |
| 2017 | Madeline Moncur | |||
| Esther Mullins | ||||
| 2018 | Zoe | The Designer | ||
| The Chaperone | Ruth St. Dennis | |||
| 2019 | The Silence | Kelly Andrews | ||
| 2020 | Downhill | Charlotte | ||
| 2022 | Talk to Me | Sue | ||
| 2023 | The Portable Door | Countess Judy | ||
| 2024 | Éowyn | Also narrator[41] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | A Country Practice | Millie Alcott | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1992 | Roma Page | TV film | |
| 1995 | Police Rescue | Amanda | TV series, episode: "On the Outer" |
| 1999 | The Jack Bull | Cora Redding | TV film |
| 2001 | The Way We Live Now | Mrs Hurtle | Miniseries |
| 2004 | Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story | Lindy Chamberlain | Miniseries Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Actress Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Television Actress |
| 2007 | The Starter Wife | Cricket Stewart | Miniseries |
| Cashmere Mafia | Juliet Draper | TV series, 7 episodes | |
| 2012 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Lydia Andrews | TV series, episode: "Cocaine Blues" |
| 2014 | Rake | Maddy Deane | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 2015 | Homeland | Allison Carr | TV series, 12 episodes Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
| 2017 | Rebecca Ingram | TV series, 12 episodes | |
| 2018–2020 | Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Zelda Spellman | TV series, Main cast |
| 2021 | The Unusual Suspects | Sara Beasley | Miniseries, main cast |
| Fires | Kath Simpson | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | True Colours | Isabelle Martin | TV series, main cast |
| 2023 | Koala Man | Mindy (voice) | TV series, episode: "Hot Christmas" |
| The Clearing | Adrienne | TV series, 8 episodes | |
| Wellmania | Camille Lavigne | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2024 | Ladies In Black | Virginia Ambrose | TV series: 6 episodes |
| Thou Shalt Not Steal | Maxine | TV series |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Midday with Kerri-Anne | Herself – Guest | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Monday to Friday | Herself – Guest | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1998 | The Movie Show | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2002 | The Movie Show | Herself – Guest (from Venice Film Festival) | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2023 | News Breakfast | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2023 | The Project | Herself - Guest (with Teresa Palmer) | TV series, 1 episode |
2024Who do you think you are?HerselfTV Series, 1 episode
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant | Wharf Studio Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company | ||
| 1986 | The Real Thing | Playhouse Newcastle with Hunter Valley Theatre Company | ||
| 1991 | Sixteen Words for Water | Betsy | Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company | |
| 1992 | Time and the Room | Sleep Woman | ||
| 1992 | The Girl Who Saw Everything | Edwina Rouse | ||
| 1993 | Brilliant Lies | Susy | ||
| 1995 | Gigi | Gigi | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre Company | |
| 2002 | A Doll’s House | Nora Helmer | Wharf 1 Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company | |
| 2002 | Hanging Man | Casting Director | Wharf 2 Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company | |
| 2005 | Boy Gets Girl | Theresa Bedell | Wharf 1 Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company | |
| 2011 | The White Guard | Lena | Sydney Theatre Company |
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Australian Film Institute | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | The Girl Who Came Late | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | The Last Days of Chez Nous | ||||
| 1993 | Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Female | |||
| 1996 | Best Actor – Female | Love Serenade | |||
| 1997 | Australian Film Institute | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | The Well | ||
| 1998 | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | In the Winter Dark | |||
| Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Actor – Female | The Well | |||
| 1999 | Best Actor – Female | Dead Letter Office | |||
| Satellite Awards | Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble | The Thin Red Line | |||
| 2002 | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Cast Ensemble | |||
| 2003 | Empire Awards | Best Actress | |||
| Gold Derby | Ensemble Cast | ||||
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Ensemble | ||||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | ||||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture | ||||
| Newport Beach Film Festival | Best Actress | Julie Walking Home | |||
| Helpmann Award | Best Female Actor in a Play | A Doll's House | |||
| Mo Awards | Best Female Actor in a Play | ||||
| Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Cast Ensemble | ||||
| DVD Exclusive Awards | Best Audio Commentary (New for DVD) | ||||
| Golden Schmoes Awards | Best Supporting Actress of the Year | ||||
| National Board of Review | Best Acting by an Ensemble | ||||
| 2004 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | ||||
| Gold Derby | Ensemble Cast | ||||
| International Online Cinema Awards | Best Supporting Actress | ||||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Ensemble Acting | ||||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | ||||
| 2005 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Through My Eyes | ||
| Australian Film Institute | Best Lead Actress in Television | ||||
| 2011 | Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Actor – Female | South Solitary | ||
| InStyle Women Of Style Award | Arts & Culture | ||||
| 2012 | Helpmann Award | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Play | The White Guard | ||
| 2014 | Women Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | The Homesman | ||
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Homeland | ||
| AACTA Award | Best Supporting Actress | The Daughter | |||
| 2017 | Australian Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Actress – Supporting Role | ||||
| 2021 | AACTA Award | Best Lead Actress in a Drama | Fires |