Miranda Otto

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Miranda Otto
Miranda Otto by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Otto at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International
Born
Miranda Otto

(1967-12-15) 15 December 1967 (age 53)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Alma materNational Institute of Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active1986–present
Known forÉowyn in The Lord of the Rings
Spouse(s)
(m. 2003)
Children1
Parent(s)Barry Otto
Lindsay Otto
RelativesGracie Otto (half-sister)

Miranda Otto (born 15 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 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 came to prominence in the early 2000s for her role as Éowyn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series, based on the classic fantasy novel of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Early life[]

Miranda Otto was born in Brisbane and was raised there and in Newcastle. She briefly lived in Hong Kong following her parents' divorce at age six.[2] She spent weekends and holidays with her father in Sydney and developed an interest in acting through him.[3]

During her childhood, Otto and her friends wrote scripts and designed costumes and flyers in their spare time.[4] 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.[3]

She had wanted to be a ballerina but was forced to abandon this goal due to moderate scoliosis.[2] Otto graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney in 1990.[5] Prior to graduation, she appeared in minor film roles including Initiation (1987) and The 13th Floor (1988).[6]

Career[]

Early career[]

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.[7]

Otto's next role was in the film The Last Days of Chez Nous, 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.[7]

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.[6]

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.[5] 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.[5] 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."[9] Otto earned her third Australian Film Institute nomination for the film.[7] 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.[10]

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.[11]

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.[7] A small role in The Thin Red Line led to further film roles outside of Australia,[7] 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"), produced in 2001 and broadcast for the first time on Italian television in March 2009.

Hollywood[]

Otto at InStyle Women of Style Awards Red Carpet 2012

Otto's first Hollywood role was the suspense thriller What Lies Beneath in 2000. She played Mary Feur, a mysterious next-door neighbor.

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.[12] Critic Jeffrey M. Anderson criticized Otto's French accent and wrote that she "doesn't seem to mesh with what's going on around her".[13]

Also in 2001, Otto appeared in the BBC adaptation of Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now, as a strong-willed American Southerner.

In 1999, Otto was cast as Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, after Uma Thurman turned down the role.[14] Director Peter Jackson cast her immediately after viewing the audition video she had filmed in Australia.[15] For the role, Otto spent six weeks learning stunt choreography and horse riding.[16] Otto's character was introduced in the trilogy's second film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in 2002 and appeared in the third film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 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.[17] 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."[18] At the 2005 Logie Awards, Otto won Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role.[19]

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.[20] 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.[21] 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."[22] The series was cancelled in May 2008.[23]

Otto starred opposite Stephanie Sigman and Anthony LaPaglia in the horror prequel Annabelle: Creation, directed by David F. Sandberg.[24] The film was released on 12 August 2017.[25] She portrayed Zelda Spellman in Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020).[26]

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.[27]

Theatre[]

Otto made her theatrical debut in the 1986 production of The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant for the Sydney Theatre Company.[28] 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".[29]

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 Otto could appear in it. In 2005, Nevin began pre-production on a play commissioned especially for Otto.[1]

Personal life[]

On 1 January 2003,[30] she married actor Peter O'Brien, after the two had met while performing in A Doll's House.[31] Otto and O'Brien have one child, a daughter.[31] The pregnancy almost forced her to turn down her role in War of the Worlds. Since the birth of her daughter, Otto has limited her work so she can spend time with her family at their home in Australia.[2]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Emma's War Emma Grange
1987 Initiation Stevie
1988 The 13th Floor Rebecca
1991 The Girl Who Came Late 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
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 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 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 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
Nominated—Utah Film Critics Association 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 Davis
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 Dance Academy: The Movie Madeline Moncur
Annabelle: Creation Esther Mullins
2018 Zoe The Designer
The Chaperone Ruth St. Dennis
2019 The Silence Kelly Andrews
2020 Downhill Charlotte

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1988 A Country Practice Millie Alcott “ Revelations” 4 Episodes
1992 Heroes II: The Return Roma Page Television film
1995 Police Rescue Amanda Episode: "On The Outer"
1999 The Jack Bull Cora Redding Television 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 7 episodes
2012 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Lydia Andrews Episode: "Cocaine Blues"
2014 Rake Maddy Deane 13 episodes
2015 Homeland Allison Carr 12 episodes
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2017 24: Legacy Rebecca Ingram 12 episodes
2018–2020 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Zelda Spellman Main cast
2021 The Unusual Suspects Sara Beasley Main cast

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Right Stage of Life". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 September 2005; retrieved 8 April 2007.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Scobie, Claire. "Balancing Act". The Herald Sun. 26 June 2005.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Keenan, Catherine. "Family Viewing". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 October 2005; retrieved 6 April 2007.
  4. ^ Williams, Sue. "Doing It Her Way" Archived 26 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine. The Australian Women's Weekly. July 2003; retrieved 6 April 2007.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Slee, Amruta. "Miranda Otto Goes Off" Archived 26 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine. HQ Magazine. September/October 1997; retrieved 6 April 2007.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Miranda Otto Filmography" Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Yahoo! Movies; retrieved 6 April 2007.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Miranda Otto Biography" Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Yahoo! Movies; retrieved 9 April 2007.
  8. ^ Bass, Matthew. "Miranda Otto Interview". Cinema Papers. October 1997; retrieved 7 April 2007.
  9. ^ Fisher, Paul and Louise Keller. "The Well Reviews". UrbanCinefile.com.au. 1997; retrieved 7 April 2007.
  10. ^ ""Doing Time for Patsy Cline" Reviews" Archived 17 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Rotten Tomatoes; retrieved 29 May 2007.
  11. ^ Scobie, Claire. "Serene, Not Dreamy". The Age. 26 June 2005; retrieved 8 April 2007.
  12. ^ Landry, B. Jude (April 2002). "Have Talent, Will Travel". Venice: L.A.'s Arts and Entertainment Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
  13. ^ Anderson, Jeffrey M. (April 2002), "To Err Is 'Human'". CombustibleCelluloid.com. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
  14. ^ "Uma Thurman Regrets Turning Down "Lord of the Rings" Role". Deadline Hollywood. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  15. ^ Nathan, Ian (January 2003). "The Two Towers Preview: Miranda Otto, The White Lady". Empire. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Emerging Eowyn: Heavy Burdens and Slashing Swords". LordOfTheRings.net. November 2003. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
  17. ^ "Rings scores Oscars clean sweep Awards". BBC. 4 March 2004; retrieved 29 May 2007.
  18. ^ Enker, Debi. "Through Their Eyes". The Age. 18 November 2004. 12 April 2007.
  19. ^ Idato, Michael (2 May 2005). "Once, twice, three times a Gold Logie". News and Features. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3.
  20. ^ "Starter Wife Characters" Archived 10 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. USA Network; retrieved 12 April 2007.
  21. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (9 January 2007). "Three Pilots Using 'Sex' Guide". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
  22. ^ Amatangelo, Amy (17 November 2018). "TV Insider: Miranda Otto". Boston Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Cashmere Mafia and Miss Guided: ABC Cancels Two More". TVSeriesFinale.com. 12 May 2008; retrieved 22 October 2009.
  24. ^ Kroll, Justin (22 June 2016). "'Spectre' Actress Stephanie Sigman to Star in 'Annabelle' Sequel". Variety. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  25. ^ McNary, Dave (22 March 2016). "Ben Affleck's Crime Drama 'Live by Night,' 3 More Warner Bros. Films Dated for 2017". Variety. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  26. ^ Otterson, Joe (20 February 2018). "Netflix's 'Sabrina' Series Casts 'Lord of the Rings' Alum Miranda Otto". Variety. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  27. ^ "Actor Josh Gad reunites stars of "Lord of the Rings" while raising money for kids in need".
  28. ^ "Cast Biographies". InMyFathersDen.com. Retrieved 12 April 2007. Archived 14 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ "Miranda Otto CV" Archived 14 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine. UnitedAgents.co.uk; retrieved 30 October 2008.
  30. ^ "Miranda Otto marries in cathedral lock-out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 2 January 2003. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b Staff writers (5 August 2019). "Miranda Otto biography". Tribute. Retrieved 5 August 2019.

External links[]

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