82-year-old Cloris Leachman has plenty on dance card

She’s older than the mambo, but 82-year-old Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman still has all the right moves.

Leachman, an award-winning veteran of stage and screen, has become a fan favorite on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” airing tonight at 8 on WCVB (Ch. 5). She leaves her younger competitors speechless during the live broadcasts with her quick wit.

“I go with the flow because I don’t know what I’m going to do, either. I’m not trying to be unusual,” said the acclaimed actress who has won nine Emmys for her work on such sitcoms as “Mary Tyler Moore” and “Malcolm in the Middle.”

And to think, the first time Leachman approached executives about doing the show, they told her she was too old.

Leachman was persistent and convinced “Dancing” producers she was prepared for the marathon training sessions at a unique meeting.

“I don’t know why, but out of my mouth kept coming swear words. I’m not in charge of it,” Leachman said. “I got up to leave . . . then I said, ‘No one is leaving this place until everyone says a swear word.’ ”

Her kooky charm worked. A grueling audition and six doctors later, Leachman made the cut.

The grandmother of five has outlasted 27-year-old reality TV sexpot Kim Kardashian, actor Ted McGinley and comedian Jeffrey Ross.

Leachman said she has no fear going into tonight’s competition with partner Corky Ballas.

“Either I’ll do well or I won’t do well. In either case, it’s human,” she said. “I’m not afraid. I feel protected and loved and cared for, and we are all the same. I’m just like the people in the audience. It’s just fun to do.”

If her curtain call comes tomorrow, Leachman said she already has projects up her sleeve.

“I have several choices in two different areas. One is I’ll either do ‘American Idol’ or ‘America’s Got Talent,’ or I’ll get pregnant in January and clone myself so the two babies can play with each other, or I may just go out on a cruise or I may take some lessons,” she said with dead-pan delivery.

82-year-old Cloris Leachman has plenty on dance card – BostonHerald.com