Miranda Otto Now: Inside the Life of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Star

Australian native Miranda Otto's venture into the house of film, where she would become an acclaimed member, began in the mid-1980s. She has led an impressive career and is reprising one of her chiefly known roles, Éowyn the Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

Earlier this year, it was announced that New Cinema Line, in association with Warner Bros., is collaborating on the production of Kenji Kamiyama's "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim." The animated film is set to release on April 2024.

Among Miranda Otto's co-stars is Brian Cox, who will voice the king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhead, and Luke Pasqualino will voice the story's antagonist Wulf. The film will be set 183 years before "The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."

Miranda Otto, as Éowyn, will narrate the events of "The War of Rohirrim" as they unfold. The "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" actress may have abandoned her pursuit of a medical profession, but she has led a successful acting career and fulfilling personal life.

What Happened to Miranda Otto after "Lord of the Rings?"

Actress Miranda Otto was enamored with the world of film from a young age and has graced both the big screen and the theater stage. Otto took her first breath in Brisbane, Australia, on December 16, 1967, born to actor Barry and Lindsay Otto.

Otto started acting at 18 and got her first significant breakout role by the time she was 20 in 1987's "Emma's War." She continued to secure parts in Australian films until she joined Hollywood in 1998's "The Red Thin Line" and 2000's "What Lies Beneath."

Otto is also a National Institute of Dramatic Art alumna, and after graduating, she continued to perform, starring in "Daydream Believer" and "The Last Days of Chex Nous" in 1992. Otto made her appearance as Eowyn in "The Lord of The Rings" franchise from the second sequel onward.

All through the 90s, she played roles that earned her nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress from the Australian film Institute. However, Otto's performance in 1997's "The Well" earned mixed reviews as a 30-year-old playing an 18-year-old character.

Regardless, she was nominated once again for Best Actress. Receiving mixed reviews for her performances has been a recurring pattern in Otto's career - one of which she is aware. During her interview with the Daily Telegraph, the actress was quite frank about it.

Moreover, the outlet suggested that Otto wasn't as famous as other Australian native actors. Otto expressed that she doesn't see herself as a networking person and attributes that characteristic to her having less fame. Per the Daily Telegraph, she explained:

"I've never been much of a networker. I'm pretty work-based, more than like fame-based or anything. Most things that I get, I give my interpretation [of the role], and they like it, and I get the job, and I do it."

The voice actor also had doubts about her career, especially when she struggled to get the roles for which she auditioned. At one point, she flew back to her mother's in Newcastle, where she painted the house in 1995.

Fortunately, things began looking up again in 1996, as she secured Dimity Hurley's character in "Love Serenade."Otto continued her stage career in the 2000s, starring in theatrical productions such as "A Doll's House."

She returned to the stage again in "Boy Gets Girl," which only began production after she gave birth to her daughter with actor Peter O'Brien. The actress's career continues progressing successfully, as she said:

"I don't know, I just try to do it role by role."

Is Miranda Otto Married?

Like his wife, Peter O'Brien is an Australian actor born in Murray Bridge, Australia, on March 25, 1960. The 62-year-old began working as a teacher in the private Catholic school Mercedes College.

He was part of a soap opera called "Neighbours" as Shane Ramsay and had a recurring role in 1983's "Starting Out." O'Brien made several guest appearances before securing lead roles in television series such as "The Flying Doctors" in 1991, "White Collar Blue," and "Queer as Folk."

The actor met Miranda Otto when they collaborated in the Sydney Theatre Company production of "A Doll's House." They began dating shortly after and tied the knot in a secret ceremony at the beginning of 2003. The couple was also private about their relationship.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Otto was always reluctant to divulge the details of her romance with O'Brien. However, she once said she was delighted with her then-boyfriend. Per The Sydney Morning Herald, she gushed:

"I knew we were right for each other. But I knew we could not get together because we were acting opposite each other. I had to tell him very early on, 'nothing is going to happen yet.' I waited until the very end."

And after their performance in "A Doll's House," the couple remained together and went strong. They welcomed their daughter in 2005 and reportedly have a tight bond as a family.

In 2015, Perth Now reported O'Brien's decision to discontinue a role because it would have kept him away from his family for months. Moreover, Otto and O'Brien support each other's careers.

Otto assured the Daily Telegraph that there's never any jealousy between them. Leading jobs in the same field aided the understanding they shared about the demands they face as actors.

Per the outlet, Otto said:

"We don't have any of that at all. Peter is incredibly supportive of me and helps me with stuff all the time. We don't have those kind of jealousies about work. We're in it together."

Does Miranda Otto Have Kids?

Kiernan Shipka's co-star Miranda Otto and her husband, Peter O'Brien, welcomed Darcy O'Brien in April 2005. However, Peter couldn't be present for his daughter's birth since he was filming in the US. People said he was present via webcam to witness Darcy's arrival.

Darcy is an actress who debuted her acting career in 2018's Desert Dash. She then appeared alongside her parents in 2021's heist drama "The Unusual Suspects." Darcy also appeared in a 2020 Vogue cover with her mom.