The View Interview
with Barbara Walters

When we did an interview with Michael Flatley for the 10 most fascinating people, he said to me he's the best dancer in the world and if you don't believe him, ask him...."(clip of LOTD video)

"His groundbreaking style of Irish stepdance, his love of the limelight has made him an international superstar but there are some who say that he is ego-driven and that he's too full of himself...I dunno I found him awfully charming and...oh, look at that...look at that (clip of lotd)... please welcome Michael Flatley"

Michael Flatley: Happy St Patrick's day (hands Barbara a yellow rose)

BW: Happy St Patrick's day...you still know how to charm a lady I must say...(they both sit down)

So can you just do a little while you sit here so we know that it's really you?

MF: I just like to watch you for a while

BW: yeah...you tried to give me a lesson...I wasn't very good at that.

MF: I thought we did very well together.

BW: So..welcome..you know you have an Irish accent because you spent a lot of time in Ireland and your parents were Irish but you were born in Chicago and when you were a little kid and you were doing this kind of dancing, was that considered the cool thing to do?

MF: Definitely not.

BW: Didn't kids say, "What is Michael doing?"

MF: Yeah, but I have to say, too, we didn't...we didnt go around telling everyone I was...I was dancing. My brother and I were both dancers but we're also prize fighters. Both of us grew up--

BW: You boxed!

MF: We certainly did...yeah...and so we didn't really get much of a hard time, to tell you the truth.

BW: Yes, so anybody who said, "What are you doing?", you could give him a little--

MF: Yeah, a little one

BW: Tell me, what are you wearing in your ear? Looks new to me..are those real diamonds?

MF: They are. This is d-flawless(?). I just got it from Cartier in London. Dennis o'Connor made them. Remember last time you asked me about the earrings...

BW: Yeah...so you're doing well...I mean you can even afford one for the other ear.

MF: I'm surviving.

BW: You know, when people call you controversial or ego-driven or difficult..how do you think that all hapened?

MF: I'm not sure how it started but, you know what, you can't pay attention to it. You really can't. You just have to rise above it and get on with it. The whole object to, i think, to life is just to follow your own dreams and if you do follow your dreams, no matter what they are, if you really work hard enough, if you're willing to put in the time, you can have whatever it is.

Just don't pay attention to the press...like what we were just talking about with the President here. Leave the man alone. Let him do his show...there's a time and a place for everything. And when this is all done(?) and he's served his country and he's doing such a great job and he's got to keep his eye on the ball everyday...he's got so many bigger problems, you know, let him have some time to do his job...then we'll deal with it

BW: That's nice to hear

MF: I'm actually having dinner with him tonight

BW: Are you really??

MF: I most certainly am. I'm having dinner with him and Bernie O'Hearn(sic) and the whole crowd...

BW: Tell us about it..you and the President, and you're just gonna talk away...you're going to the white house.

MF: I'm just gonna have dinner.

BW: How nice.

MF: I must say I admire the man...I really do.

BW: And he ovbiously admires you...well, will you give him our best and tell him we think he's doing a very good job and we hope it all goes away.

MF: I most certainly will....

BW: Here you are having dinner with the president; you've got a second company that you're not even in that's doing so well...

MF: Yes, and a third one that's opening May 16th in Las Vegas .

BW: Without you and it's still doing well...

MF: It's fantastic.

BW: But you choreographed it...

MF: I did, yeah, I was in the audience last night at Radio City Music Hall, and there again tonight, and three or four standing ovations--

BW: Without you even in it.
MF: It's fantastic...there's new fellas in there now...John Carrey, Damien O'Caine, Gillian Norris, Arlene Boyle...I mean, (the)little Bergen girl...there's so many..they're all stars.

BW: And the choreography is yours?

MF: Yes

BW: You're what now, 39?

MF: Yes

BW: Ok...I understand that this kind of dancing takes its toll. I mean, you can see it when you see the kind of performance that you do. How much longer can you do this?

MF: I don't really know...I suppose....in another...I'm about to retire, but unfortunately in this business, you've gotta give 20 years notice.

BW: But you know, Michael, you're marriage broke up, you're travelling all over the world, you don't have children, and you don't have a home. You have diamonds and you have the president, and I'm gonna ask you the question that, you know, that most of us have wondered a long time..

MF: And I have Barbara Walters..

BW: And i have you, Michael...but is it worth it all?...this kinda wear..I guess it is..it's a dumb question, isn't it?

MF: Yeah, it is...I mean, it's bittersweet. My wife was, and is, one of the most beautiful women in the world...my ex-wife...I hate to use that word. and I lost her through all of this and perhaps that was the most difficult thing...I'll always love her...she'll always be my best friend.

And if God is good, perhaps I'll meet somebody else someday, and hope that she will as well...and that's probably the most difficult part. The rest of it, you have to keep focus when you have a job to do. I have 400 people out there now that are all dancing making a living, doing what they love to do. That would never have happened if I had just ran home and forgot about it, and just quit

BW: Did the dreams come true?

MF: They did..they did..yeah they definitely did..but not without the hard work, and not without the perseverance and not without the pain. You can never forget that . There's always gonna be pain...but as long as you're willing to face it, it'll have to be. The dream has to be that strong. It has to be a burning desire and if you can face that, any dream...any dream can come true, I promise you.

BW: Well that's important for people to hear especially young people who are home and maybe listening to this...Well we're gonna be talking a little bit about dreams...I understand that Starr Jones has a question for us that has something to do with that....

Star Jones: We're back and live ...with the lord of the dance who is not dancing and I'm not happy about that...but I understand that you have to dance on a very special surface because the insurance people will be mad at you if you don't. Am I right?

MF: That's exactly right, yeah.

SJ: 50 million dollar legs, am I...I mean, is that--?(Star Jones is tracing her finger along MF's left knee)

MF: Do that again.

SJ: Am I allowed to do that with the insurance people? 50 million dollars on these legs!

MF: Yeah

BW: That was $5,000 you just did by touching him--

SJ: (touching MF's knee again) And this was ten, okay? Thank you very much.

MF: You know what, when they turn the cameras off, I'll take you for a little spin.

Debbie Matenopolous: What does that mean? Spin on your legs???

SJ: Y'know what? Let me tell you something...my Saint Patty's day is looking up, I gotta tell you.

MF: Girl, you have no idea.

SJ: If I were not brown, I would be red right about now. Can we do the question of the day before I pass out and die? Okay?

Here's today's question of the day. Which of your childhood dreams have you not yet achieved?

BW: (to Star Jones) Now we know...

SJ: I know. I knew you were gonna have something to say. (to MF) Which of your childhood dreams have you not yet achieved? And I know you and Barbara talked a little about that.

MF: Yeah, well, I grew up dreaming. That was my whole life. I always wanted to make films, I always wanted to have a show on Radio City Music Hall and a lot of different things. I mean, for a long time, I wanted to be the middleweight champion of the world. But you have to make choices in life and you have to realize what's realistic and, I think, y'know...the dream that you think the most that you really want.

It might seem the hardest but that's the one you can have. And that's why you want it so bad. The one that's the most difficult is the one you should always go for. Never settle for second best.

SJ: Do you still have some dreams that you want? I mean, do you still have dreams that you're going for?

MF: Oh yeah, everyday. I mean, the higher that you climb everyday in(sic) the mountain, the farther you can see, the more difficult things are. And I can't seem to back down from those challenges. It's what keeps me going all the time, keeps me driving, y'know.