For those of you unfamiliar with the show, the Tonight Show is on monday through friday at 11:30pm and is considered by some to be the most prestigious talk show (or chat show) in the United States. Some people have said that you are not a star, until you are on the Tonight Show.
Jay Leno was a famous stand-up commedian before he took over hosting the show. He occasionally continues talking after the guest has started answering a question, and sometimes his questions don't end, they just trail off while the other person starts talking. Although they made sure they had pictures and a film clip of Anna, it is apparent by some of the questions that very little research was done. I think Anna handled the situation well, but others felt she was disrespectful. I don't think so.
A video clip of Anna playing is shown
Jay: Please welcome Anna "Kornisskova" (after saying her name correctly several times earlier in the show, Jay suddenly begins pronouncing it badly)
Anna comes out wearing a extremely attractive all black outfit
Jay: Hey, you look great.
Anna: thank you. (applause) thank you.
Jay: I love your name, it sounds like one of the James Bond movies. (Jay puts on an indistinguishable accent) "Mr. Bond, Anna Kornisskova(sic) will be here…"
Anna: You pronounced it wrong again…
Jay: Am I wrong again? (they obviously discussed this earlier) It's Anna. (says it slower) "Ah-Nah" I got that. It's "Kor-nee-KO-va" (he doesn't include the "S" this time)
Anna: You're pronouncing it like an Italian…
Jay: I'm sorry, I am Italian. There's no hand movement involved…
Anna: no
Jay: (he puts his hands behind his back, presumably so he won't sound Italian) Say it for me.
Anna: Kournikova
Jay: Kournikova. (he says it exactly) Okay, Kournikova. …but now you live in Florida, right?
Anna: yes
Jay: …but you're still a Russian citizen, right?
Anna: I am, but I moved here seven years ago, so I feel kind of American, you know…
Jay: …but do you get back there often.
Anna: …I grew up in this country.
(applause)
Jay: I just wonder what the, sort of, culture shock was like, because you lived there until you were what, seven or eight?
Anna: ten
Jay: Oh, ten. (mumbles) My math is terrible.
Anna: I noticed
Jay: Is tennis as popular in Russia? We don't think of tennis as being a popular Russian sport… I mean, kind of… playing in fur coats and… (shivers)
Anna: Well, yeah. You know, you have to wear gloves and you have to clean the court… get rid of the snow.
Jay: Was it, umm, obviously, indoor courts?
Anna: Yeah it was about ahh you know, minus seven degrees you had to play in. Inside.
Jay: but… ummm, I mean, you're the first famous Russian tennis player that I've ever heard of. Have there been others? (in a flash of clarity, he adds-) Maybe I'm just ignorant here. Are there other…?
Anna: There have been. Maybe you have heard of Yvgenny Kafelnikov?
Jay: (a completely blank look on his face) I can't even pronounce what you said.
Anna: (laughs politely)
Jay: …so how old were you when you started? You're sixteen now…
Anna: I started when I was five.
Jay: Five. Okay, now we have a picture of you here, I guess you were about six… let's take a look…
(a picture of Anna as a child is shown)
Jay: …actually you're pretty big for six. Like your first racket… where did you… 'cuz we always think, again maybe this is an American thing… but we always think of people in Russia as not having things… but obviously you grew up in Moscow, so it was in the city…
Anna: I found my first rackets under the Christmas tree.
Jay: yeah
Anna: but I found out later that my parents sell their TV to get me those rackets…
Jay: Oh is that right?
Anna: Yes. Two rackets.
Jay: That's sweet. (pause) There's nothing on Russian television anyway… (laughter)
Anna: Yeah, only five channels…
Jay: (mumbles) …so do you remember American type things? Did you ever… When did they build the McDonalds? What was that, '84 or something like that?
Anna: 1990. The first day it opened, I was there…
Jay: 1990? Oh, okay.
Anna: Yes, I standing in a big line for like, three hours.
Jay: okay
Anna: … and I got to taste my first Big Mac.(she chuckles)
Jay: Well… What did that taste like? Did it taste strange, or what?
Anna: It tasted like a ROCK! (she distastefully puts a hand on her stomach)
Jay: (laughing) Well it's good to see we share some of the same experiences, the Russians and Americans.
Anna: …but you know what I like? The caramel sundae.
Jay: Do you like fast… Do Russians like fast food? I mean, when you came here, did you go to all the fast food restaurants?
Anna: When I'm in Russia, I go to the drive through…
Jay: In Russia?
Anna: here
Jay: Here, oh okay.
Anna: I'm not in Russia anymore. Remember? I moved here.
Jay: …but you go back a lot, right?
Anna: Yes, sometimes.
Jay: okay… Now, the press gets on you for your short skirts… This is the longest skirt I've ever seen you in…
Anna: Just for you today, I wear the long skirt…
Jay: Oh, thank you very much.
Anna: You're welcome.
Jay: Well, show that picture. (mumbles while a picture of Anna at Wimbledon is shown) Is that really short for Wimbledon? How much longer do women normally wear it?
Anna: Well, I think… Can I ask you a question?
Jay: yeah
Anna: I think tennis skirts are supposed to be short.
Jay: right
Anna: …otherwise, how would I move in it?
Jay: Exactly. Exactly. But the press seems to get on your case, they say that yours are shorter than the others, are they?
Anna: I guess my legs… my legs are a little bit longer than the others.
Jay: So… It's not really a shorter skirt, you just have longer legs?
Anna: Yes. (laughter, applause)
Jay: That's a great answer. (applause) Does the press bother you? I don't know if they bother you as much here, I think England is worth with tabloids…(mumbles)
Anna: Can I ask you another question?
Jay: Sure.
Anna: Did you watch Wimbledon?
Jay: Ahh, a little bit.
Anna: Okay. You probably remember, and everybody remembers that it rained so much?
Jay: yes
Anna: …that they didn't have anything else to write about. So they started writing about my hair, about my dress, about my skirt, about my white nail polish.
Jay: Oh the white nail polish, okay.
Anna: For Wimbledon, you have to wear white. So, all they had to do, you know, they pick on my skirt.
Jay: All right. (mumbles) Does that bother you?
Anna: But, but when I got on the court, and started to hit my forehand, they wrote about my forehand. So that's what the most important thing was!
Jay: Right. So… Does it bother you, or it doesn't bother you?
Anna: When the write about my forehand it's fine (laughter)
Jay: Okay
Anna: …but when they write about my skirt, that's okay.
Jay: Okay. Now, you played Martina ahh, umm, Hingis? That's her name?
Anna: Yes…
Jay: You played Martina there…
Anna: … you can pronounce that right. (she giggles)
Jay: … Is there a big rivalry between you two?
Anna: Well, you know, on the court I think everybody expect us to be a rivalry…
Jay: yeah
Anna: …and on the court it is a rivalry. But off the court, we're like normal people. We're friends.
Jay: You can be friends? You can hang out?
Anna: Yeah, we can.
Jay: Now, you want to be an actress too? Is this true, I hear? Did you meet Glen Close? (an earlier guest on the same show)
Anna: yes, I did. (she laughs)
Jay: Did you tell her you wanted to be an actress?
Anna: I will talk to her after the show about that.
Jay: Okay. Okay. What would you rather do, win an Oscar, or win Wimbledon?
Anna: Well, you know, I'm a performer. So I can go out there and perform with my racket on the court,
Jay: yeah
Anna: … so I can better stick to my day job, and work a little bit more at winning another Wimbledon…
Jay: yeah
Anna: You know, next year, winning Wimbledon.
Jay: Okay, so then, then the Oscar comes later?
Anna: yeah
Jay: Alright. Well, this wasn't too hard.
Anna: Nope
Jay: Well, good. Thanks for coming.
Anna: All right, thank you.
