Jay Leno: You've seen my next guest in films such as Mr. Jones and The Unbearable Lightness of Being, as well as Enemies: A Love Story for which she received an Oscar nomination. Her new movie Romeo Is Bleeding opens this Friday. It's already one of the most talked about films. (turns to other guest George Carlin and says, 'You haven't seen this have you?' Carlin says, 'No Sir.') This is unbelievable the character she plays. Please welcome Lena Olin.

(Lena walks out in black pants suit, hands behind her back. Shakes Jay and Carlin's hands.)

Jay: It's nice to meet you and I must say I was a little surprised. When I saw you in Mr. Jones and talking to you backstage, and then I find out you're from Sweden but don't have hardly an accent at all.

Lena: Well I do. I do have a slight accent. But we start studying English when we were like ten at school, so you know, I think only people who are over 90 wouldn't talk English if you go up to Sweden.

Jay: Have you had any trouble with it. I mean when you came here were there certain words?..

Lena: No, I think you tend to be, if it's your first language then you can wrap everything up in a nice package, you know. I haven't the choice to say Either it stinks or I love it, you know. I can't put it in a nice package the way you can do. But, now I find it to be a problem that sometimes I pick the wrong word. And that might be embarrassing. And people don't expect it from me now because they think 'Oh she speaks so well so she'll find the right words' and that can be embarrassing.

Jay: What would be an example, what would you do where you would say the wrong word.

Lena: You know, like when somebody in the crew took me to his house, and his wife is a dancer, and she was retired. You know, the way you retire when you're in your forties. And so I went to the crew the next day and I said 'Oh it's so great you know, and so amazing his wife is retarted.'

(much laughter)

Lena: And, you know, somebody asked me out here 'Which sign are you?' And I said 'Oh I am peaches.' And, you know, people just look at me. They don't tell me this is wrong Lena, we don't have a sign like that!

Jay: Peaches?

Lena: Peaches, yeah. I meant...(turns to Carlin)'What did I mean?'

Carlin: Pisces

Lena: Yeah! Yeah! Exactly!

Jay: Pisces, of course. I like, actually I like peaches! It's better

Carlin: Much better, much better.

Jay: I would've picked that sign for you myself.

Lena: Okay, great.

Jay: Peaches would be a lovely sign. Do you remember your first impressions of this country? I mean, coming from Sweden it must seem very?.

Lena: Yeah, it's a shock. You know, you think that you know America so well. I hadn't been here before I did Unbearable Lightness of Being. You sort of grow up with the American television and everything so you feel 'I know this country', but then when you get here it's a shock. You know, the mentality, the attitude is so different. And, people are so positive, and people talk to you in the streets. I mean Swedes are withdrawn and shy and nobody says anything, you know, in the subway.

Jay: But you always hear about Sweden, and sort of the sexuality, and all that open society, and I would've thought that you would get here and be 'oh people are more repressed.'

Lena: (laughing) But, you know, I think Sweden is a boring country. But, I like that. It gives time for contemplation and lots of things go on, on the inside instead. You know, behind doors, but on the outside things look kind of boring maybe.

(turns and chuckles at audience who have started hooting at idea of what goes on behind doors)

Carlin: We do it on the street here.

Jay: Americans are more open. See, I'm from New England. Now New Englanders tend to be the most like that, very quiet. I mean when you come here, complete strangers?

Lena: Yeah, walk up to you and say, you know, something?

Jay: Yeah, this is true. I remember years ago, just sitting and I started talking to this woman and she said 'You know, my cervix is inflamed.' And I went 'Oh, all right.' What am I supposed to do, am I a doctor? She starts telling me these intimate details about her life and I..."

Lena: No, that's shocking if you're not used to it.

Jay: So you grew up in Stockholm?

Lena: Mmm hmm.

Jay: Your parents were actors.

Lena: Yeah

Jay: Were you very outgoing?

Lena: No, no. I was,... If you grow up in a family with actors, you don't get any space. I mean everybody they know are actors or directors, and show biz people who are funny and loud, and you're sort of, you know, you're in the background. I was very shy and very quiet. I was wild though. I did a lot of fighting and I was sort of a tomboy.

Jay: You do a lot of fighting in this (meaning Romeo Is Bleeding). I was telling the audience before the show, this is the strangest character. I guess it would be, you play this female mob boss. Would that be?

Lena: Yeah, that's correct.

Jay: Who is like the toughest person I've ever seen in a movie. Am I giving it away by saying...(makes cutting motion on his arm)

Lena: No, no no. (highly amused by all this talk of Mona)

Jay: I mean, she cuts her own arm off with a saw, to kind of make a point I guess.

(Lena laughs)

Jay: And it was interesting to me because usually when American movies have these kinds of characters they're robots or something.

Lena: Mmm hmm, mmm hmm.

Jay: She's very much a woman but this incredibly tough customer. It seems to be causing a lot of controversy.

Lena: I think it has to do with'..It's written by a woman and I think she didn't have any...You know, if a guy had written this script, I think he would have been more careful. He would have said I'm going to get in so much trouble if I write a female character this bad, and if I don't explain, you know, put in a little scene where she would say 'I cannot have babies' or 'that's because..', you know, give an explanation. She's just, she has no conscience, she has never second thoughts, and she's just...She does what she does so full of joy and just..

Jay: Yeah. Well the thing I like about it is, so many times when they make these kinds of women in movies they always have a flaw. It's always the vanity, a guy will say 'oh you're very beautiful', she'll say 'oh really' and then he'll get her(whack motion with hand)! But this woman, this woman doesn't fall for that at all!

Lena: No!

Jay: Well let's take a look at a clip here of Romeo Is Bleeding.

(scene of Lena and Gary Oldman walking down courthouse steps)

Jay: Oooh, leather skirt.

(clip shows Lena telling Oldman's character he was a 'dry fuck'. Of course they bleep that out, but it's easy to tell what she was saying)

(Clip ends, much applause from audience.)

Jay: Boy this is a terrific part. I must admit after seeing the film last night I was frightened to meet you. I thought 'Oh My God.'

(Lena laughs)

Jay: No you're a lovely woman and a terrific actress. Thank you very, very much.

(they shake hands)