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Miranda Otto

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
82

Gender
Female

Birthday
December 16, 1967 (58 years old)

Place of Birth
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Miranda Otto

Biography

Miranda Otto (born December 16, 1967) is an Australian actress. The daughter of actors Lindsay and Barry Otto and the sister of actress Gracie Otto, she began acting at age eighteen, and has performed in a variety of independent and major studio films.

Her first major film appearance was in the 1986 film Emma's War, in which she played a teenager who moves to Australia's bush country during World War II. In 1996, director Shirley Barrett cast Otto as a shy waitress in the film Love Serenade. She starred in the 1997 films Doing Time for Patsy Cline and The Well, for which earned her third Australian Film Institute nomination. Her 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. Later that year, she starred in the film In the Winter Dark, directed by James Bogle, for which she was nominated for her fourth Australian Film Institute Award.

After a decade of critically acclaimed roles in Australian films, she gained Hollywood's attention after appearing in supporting roles in The Thin Red Line (1998) and What Lies Beneath (2000). In 2001, she was cast as a naturalist in the comedy Human Nature and appeared in the BBC adaptation of Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now, as a strong-willed American Southerner. Her breakthrough role came in 2002, when she portrayed Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Her 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. Her performance earned her an Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

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.

Her 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). At the 2005 Logie Awards, Otto won Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role.

In 2007, Otto starred as Cricket Stewart, the wife of a successful director, in the television miniseries The Starter Wife. She had a starring role in the 2008 American television series Cashmere Mafia, and Australian films such as In Her Skin and Blessed (2009). She starred opposite Stephanie Sigman and Anthony LaPaglia in the horror prequel Annabelle: Creation. She portrayed Zelda Spellman in Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020).

She 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". Her next stage role was in the psychological thriller Boy Gets Girl (2005).

Known For

Acting

2026The Foxas Liz
2026The Pout-Pout Fishas Marin (voice)
2024The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimas Éowyn (voice)
2024Thou Shalt Not Stealas Maxine
2024Revealed: Otto By Ottoas Self
2024Ladies in Blackas Virginia Ambrose
2024My Freaky Familyas Aneska Flood (voice)
2023At the Gatesas Marianne Barris
2023In the Grip of Terror: Making Talk To Meas Self
2023Talk to Meas Sue
2023The Clearingas Adrienne Beaufort
2023Wellmaniaas Camille Lavinge
2023The Portable Dooras Countess Judy
2023Koala Manas Mindy (voice)
2022True Coloursas Isabelle Martin
2021Firesas Kath Simpson
2021The Moth Effectas Jenny
2021The Unusual Suspectsas Sara
2020Faith & Fear: The Conjuring Universeas Self
2020Reunited Apartas Self
2020Downhillas Charlotte
2019The Silenceas Kelly Andrews
2019The Chaperoneas Ruth St. Dennis
2018Chilling Adventures of Sabrinaas Zelda Spellman
2018Zoeas The Designer
2017The Raidas Rebecca Ingram
2017Annabelle: Creationas Esther Mullins
2017Dance Academy: The Movieas Madeline Moncur
201724: Legacyas Rebecca Ingram
2015The Daughteras Charlotte
2014The Homesmanas Theoline Belknap
2014Rakeas Maddy Deane
2014I, Frankensteinas Leonore
2013The Turningas Sherry
2013Reaching for the Moonas Elizabeth Bishop
2012Maboas Margaret White
2012Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteriesas Lydia Andrews
2011Homelandas Allison Carr
2011Locke & Keyas Nina Locke
2010South Solitaryas Meredith Appleton
2009Blessedas Bianca
2009In Her Skinas Mrs. Barber
2009Schadenfreudeas Waitress
2008Cashmere Mafiaas Juliet Draper
2007The Starter Wifeas Cricket Stewart
2005War of the Worldsas Mary Ann
2004Flight of the Phoenixas Kelly
2004A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King'as Self
2004Through My Eyesas Lindy Chamberlain
2004In My Father's Denas Penny Prior
2004The Making of 'The Return of the King'as Self
2004The Three-Legged Foxas Ruth
2003The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Visionas Self
2003The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingas Éowyn
2003Danny Deckchairas Glenda Lake
2003The Making of 'The Two Towers'as
2002The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towersas Éowyn
2002Julie Walking Homeas Julie Makowsky
2002Doctor Sleepas Clara Strother
2001The Way We Live Nowas Mrs Hurtle
2001Human Natureas Gabrielle
2000What Lies Beneathas Mary Feur
2000Kinas Anna
1999The Jack Bullas Cora Redding
1998The Thin Red Lineas Marty Bell
1998In the Winter Darkas Ronnie
1998Dead Letter Officeas Alice Walsh
1997Doing Time for Patsy Clineas Patsy
1997True Love and Chaosas Mimi
1997The Wellas Katherine
1996Love Serenadeas Dimity Hurley
1995Sex Is a Four Letter Wordas Viv
1993The Nostradamus Kidas Jennie O'Brien
1992The Last Days of Chez Nousas Annie
1992Daydream Believeras Nell Tiscowitz
1991Heroes II: The Returnas Roma Page
1991Police Rescueas Amanda
1988The 13th Flooras Rebecca
1987Initiationas Stevie
1986Emma's Waras Emma Grange
1986The Flying Doctorsas Amy Brodie
The Great Whiteas

Production

2023Talk to Me...Executive Producer