Jay Leno:My next guest, an Olympics silver medalist, starring in a Disney special March 5 on ABC. (A clip of Michelle doing her triple/triple combination at Nationals is shown) On Saturday, she won the National Figure Skating title for the third time. Please welcome Michelle Kwan.

Audience applauds. Michelle walks out, waving, in a black sleeveless outfit.

JL: Oh, I like your new hair.

Michelle Kwan: Thank you!

JL: Just kinda did the whole chop thing, huh?

MK: Yeah, it took me 2 years to get the guts to do it.

JL: I like it, it looks cute.

MK: Thank you.

JL: I like it, it looks cute, yeah. A little different color?

MK: (Michelle laughs.) Why not go for it all, I guess.

JL: Go for it all. Well, maroon is your natural color.

MK: Yeah. (Audience laughs.) Mom has maroon hair.

JL: It looks great. I like it, it’s very sexy.

MK: Thank you.

JL: It looks very good. Now see, you know, I read a rumor, I don’t know if this is so. They said when you skated on Saturday, you’re superstitious and you did it in, like, your old uniform. Like you didn’t even wash it. Is that true?

MK: No, I’m not a dirty person! (Michelle laughs)

JL: I don’t mean dirty. I don’t mean but...superstitious.

MK: Yes, well I skated really well on Thursday, short program, and I thought, oh, I have to do everything the same.

JL: (Laughing)Really?

MK: And I was like, it might make...I was like getting ready, had my makeup out, and I was like, OK, what kind of makeup did I use on Thursday? So I tried to remember everything. I had the same outfit on for practice, so...

JL: Well, see that's odd. To me, I would think people like yourself, oh, so secure, you know.

MK: Confident?

JL: Confident. Boom, boom (snaps fingers). You know, just roll out of bed, do it. I mean really, it's that you think, what did I have on?

MK: I know.

JL: So you figure you didn't want to jinx it.

MK: Yeah, that's exactly what I think. I don't know, it's like...it gets in your head, you're like, Oh, I have to do the same thing, and I have to do this and that. Aren't you superstitious?

JL: Me? (Knocks on his desk.) No, I'm not superstitious. (Audience laughs.)

MK: (Laughs. Knocks on desk)Not at all.

JL: No, but I know what you mean. So now since you won again that means you can’t wash it the next time.

MK: No.

JL: Pretty soon people will be going, cough, all right, give it to her, give it to her.

MK: (Laughing) OK, (Waves her hand in front of her face, like there’s an odor.) Change Michelle!

Dave Foley: Is this a superstition or an obsessive compulsive disorder?

MK: Uhh. (laughing)

JL: Now, what was that new move you did, what was that, a Char...what?

MK: A Charlotte.

JL: A Charlotte. Now, can you, what was that? Show people. Can you show people?

MK: Well, it was invented in the early 1900s.

JL: Yea.

MK: And, it’s a girl named Charlotte, it's named after a girl, but I don’t know, I can’t pronounce her last name.

JL: Oh, OK. I mean, what...can you show us the move?

MK: Sure. It's...

JL: I thought this was very cool.

(Michelle goes into the Charlotte position)

MK: It’s a spiral, I go down the middle of the ice.

JL: Right.

MK: And.

JL: That’s great, see I can’t even do that standing up, let alone moving on ice, it’s amazing to me. You know, I want to ask you about this girl, the 13 year old girl, Naomi...Nari Nam, is it?

MK: Yeah, Nari Nam.

JL: She was tiny.

MK: (Whispering) I feel like a giant next to her.

JL: (Laughing) Really?

MK: I'm like... (Laughing) She's very small, very cute. Very great skater. Um, she's very young. A lot of potential.

JL: Yeah, she's 13 right?

MK: 13.

JL: Now, she came in second, but don’t they have that new rule you can’t compete until you’re how old?

MK: 15, at the World Championships. Yeah.

JL: Oh, okay. So she just has to...

MK: I know it’s a bummer.

JL: Yeah, does seem like, what do you think of that? Are you for that? Do you think it’s good?

MK: Well, I’m glad they made the rule a little later because I was 13 when I went to Worlds for the first time. (Laughs)

JL: Yeah!

MK: So, but it’s, I mean, It’s the rule now, there’s nothing she can really do.

JL: And now you’re driving, right? You got your license right? I haven’t seen you since you got your license? Are you a good driver?

MK: Oh eww....I like speed. I don't know.

JL: Oh yeah?

MK: Yeah.

JL: Now, I know your mom, and your mom seems pretty protective. Does she sort of, does she drive with you ever? Is she....

MK: (Leans towards Jay, and holds her hand over her mouth, pretending to whisper.) Backseat driver.

JL: Oh yeah, does she (makes gesture with hand, like someone talking)?

MK: Oh yeah.

JL: Yeah. Slow down.

MK: (yelling like her mother) “Slow down there’s a curve!” And I’m a nervous driver, so when I’m on the road, if someone says anything I'm like, (Moves her hands like turning the wheel.) "OK, OK, I’m okay!" You know? So it makes me very nervous.

JL: Now how’s your private life? Any guys yet? Any, any new guys?

MK: No.

JL: Come on! You must get mail. When you're on the ice, do people, like do guys throw things?

MK: Yes, I’ve gotten some weird things on the ice. Like I got a suit one time.

JL: A suit?

MK: A suit. And it actually fit, and I was like cool, I can keep this. (Audience laughs.)

JL: Must have been quite a guy.

MK: (Laughs) And I've gotten.

JL: Do guys throw their phone numbers?

MK: I’ve gotten numbers.

JL: Now, do you ever pick up the number and call it just to see who?

MK: No.

JL: You should call a guy back. Who knows?

MK: Who knows?

JL: Could be the right guy.

MK: Could look like Brad Pitt.

JL: Could look like Brad Pitt. (whispers) I wouldn’t bet on it. (laughter)

MK: Oh.

JL: Now you have your Disney Special, it’s when, oh, March 5th.

MK: March 5th.

JL: March 5th. Hey, it's always a pleasure. (Shakes Michelle’s hand)

MK: Thank you.

JL: Michelle, thank you very much. Michelle Kwan! (Audience claps) March 5th on Walt Disney special, we'll be right back, right after this.

Listen to the interview.

Screen shots courtesy of figure-skating.com and Diane

Thanks to Jenny for the audio clip.