Born in California, Liev Schreiber, 56, studied at Yale School of Drama and made his Broadway debut in 1993. He won a Tony award in 2005 for Glengarry Glen Ross and, this year, he was nominated for his performance in Doubt: A Parable. His films include three Scream features, The Manchurian Candidate, The Painted Veil, Spotlight and Golda. From 2013 he played the title role in Ray Donovan, which ran for seven seasons. He appears in The Perfect Couple on Netflix. He lives in New York City with his wife and their daughter, and has two older children with actor Naomi Watts.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Anger.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Phoniness.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
When I was 19 I worked at a gay bar while I was at drama school in London. One of the guys I worked with was Glaswegian and I learned the dialect from him. The acting teacher at the school said, “Liev, you’ve got the region but you’ve missed the character entirely” because I played Jimmy Boyle in a very camp Glaswegian accent.
Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?
An education.
What is your most treasured possession?
The education.
Describe yourself in three words
Big, hirsute, actor.
What makes you unhappy?
Laziness.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
My grandfather. I grew up with a single mom in New York City. She was a cab driver and we lived in squats and life was challenging, and he was the respite for me: he was the safe place, he was my rock, he was the male influence in my life.
What scares you about getting older?
Leaving my family.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
An elevator operator.
What is the worst thing anyone’s ever said to you?
“Not interested.” Who? Many people.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Fame.
To whom would you most like to say sorry and why?
My father – I think he doubted our closeness.
What does love feel like?
Everything.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Where are my glasses?”
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What is the worst job you’ve ever done?
Acting – it’s also the best, though.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
I thought I’d be smarter by now.
When did you last cry, and why?
Watching the Olympics.
When’s the last time you changed your mind about something significant?
This morning. It was about a better way to talk to my kids.
What is the closest you’ve ever come to death?
A car accident in British Columbia 35-40 years ago. I was driving too quickly on a dirt road and lost control of the car, and it went off a cliff and got stuck in some treetops. We were not at all hurt; we actually just climbed out.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My children.
What keeps you awake at night?
My children.
