Liev Schreiber
A character actor of formidable, brooding intensity who commands both Shakespearean stages and gritty premium television dramas.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actor·Birthday: October 4·Generation X
Biography
Liev Schreiber possesses a voice that sounds like gravel rolling in velvet, an instrument perfectly suited for both classical soliloquies and hardboiled narration. Born in 1967 in San Francisco, he honed his craft at the Yale School of Drama, building a reputation as a serious, magnetic stage actor. While Hollywood often cast him in supporting roles as villains or intense figures, like the sinister Cotton Weary in the 'Scream' films, it was his commanding presence on Broadway that earned him a Tony Award. Television became a defining medium when he embodied the complex, morally tangled Ray Donovan, a professional fixer for Los Angeles's elite, a role he inhabited for seven seasons. Beyond acting, his resonant baritone has become a staple of documentary narration, most famously for the HBO sports series '24/7'. Schreiber has carved a path defined by intelligent choice and a refusal to be pigeonholed.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Liev was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Liev Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Liev's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in 'Glengarry Glen Ross' in 2005.
- Received widespread acclaim for starring in and producing the Showtime drama series 'Ray Donovan'.
- Narrated the HBO sports documentary series '24/7', earning multiple Emmy nominations.
Did You Know?
He is the father of two sons with his former partner, actress Naomi Watts.
He directed and starred in a film adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel 'Everything Is Illuminated'.
His first name, Liev, is derived from the Russian name 'Lev', meaning 'lion'.
“The thing about acting is you get to hide in other people.”
