when sam levine remember the great actor sam levine? was watching "the royal family" once in the theater. sam levine comes in, just opens the doors and comes in. i was a young actor at the time. i thought, wow. charlie: that's entrance. al: it wasn't an entrance. it was something else. it was a gift. he was opening the doors to something spectacular, with light in it, everything, and energy and joy. you know what it was? he has done it for 50 years. that is a big thing. charlie: did you ever use that in terms of performance? al: i have been performances that got worse until they got better. charlie: because you are searching. al: there was a thing i did when i was doing "american buffalo." i did it all over the world. i remember people talking, he's like a tiger, he struts back and a leopard in a cage or something. i thought that was very nice. probably that's what i was doing for a while. after doing it for four years on and off, i found myself in boston. and i came out, and i see the opening soliloquy beautifully. written by david mam

remember the great actor sam levine?atching the roim family once in the theater and sam levine comes in, comes in-- just opens the doors and comes in. and i was a young actor at the time and i thought, wow! as soon as i saw that i said whoa! >> rose: that's an entrance. >> it wasn't an entrance. it was something else. it was a gift. he was opening the doors to something spectacular with light in it and everything and energy and joy. and you know what it was? >> rose: what? >> he's done it for 50 years. >> rose: yes exactly. yes. >> so that's a big thing. >> rose: did you ever use that yourself in terms of request performance. >> i put a lot of stock in that. i've done performances and they just got worse until they got better. >> rose: because you're searching? >> here's the thing i did in "american buffalo yes once when i was doing it. i did it all over the world. and at first i remember people talk about wow you know, guto see al and he's like a tiger. he struts back and forth like a leopard in a cage or something." i