Ayzek Shrayber American theater and film actor. Date of Birth: 04.10.1967 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Family Background
2. Education and Acting Beginnings
3. Breakthrough and Film Career
4. Screenwriting and Directing
5. Broadway and Theater Success
6. Philanthropy and Personal Life

Early Life and Family Background

Liev Schreiber was born in San Francisco, California, on October 4, 1967, to painter Heather Milgram and theater actor and director Tell Schreiber. His father is of mixed Australian, Irish, Swiss, and Scottish descent, while his mother is Jewish with ancestors from Poland, Ukraine, and Germany (his maternal grandfather was from Ukraine). According to his mother, he was named Liev after her favorite author, Leo Tolstoy, while his father claims it was in honor of the doctor who saved his mother's life.

When Schreiber was one year old, the family moved to Canada, and when he was four, his parents divorced. He spent his childhood in New York City's Lower East Side with his mother after his parents' separation. His mother worked as a taxi driver and made papier-mâché dolls for a living. She encouraged his love of reading and forbade him from watching color films, resulting in Charlie Chaplin becoming his idol. The first color film he saw was "Star Wars" in 1977.

Education and Acting Beginnings

During the late 70s and early 80s, Schreiber lived in the ashram of Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda in Pomfret, Connecticut. In 1984, he enrolled at Friends Seminary, a private New York City school, where he studied alongside actress Amanda Peet. Despite his athletic abilities, Schreiber remained an outsider due to rumors about his unconventional family and unsubstantiated suspicions of theft.

He continued his education at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he first delved into acting. In 1992, he graduated from the Yale School of Drama. He also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Schreiber initially intended to become a screenwriter and playwright.

Breakthrough and Film Career

Schreiber's breakthrough role came as the murder suspect Cotton Weary in the "Scream" trilogy (1996-2000), which opened doors to big-budget studio films. He appeared in "Hamlet" (2000) with Ethan Hawke, "The Hurricane" (1999) with Denzel Washington, and "The Sum of All Fears" (2002) with Ben Affleck. In 1999, his portrayal of Orson Welles in the HBO telefilm "RKO 281" earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. His performance in the 2004 remake of "The Manchurian Candidate" with Washington and Meryl Streep also garnered critical acclaim.

Screenwriting and Directing

Since the late 90s, Schreiber had planned to direct an adaptation of "The Merchant of Venice" starring Dustin Hoffman. He later shifted his focus to a screenplay about his relationship with his Ukrainian grandfather. However, after reading the novel "Light Is the Day," which explored a similar theme, he abandoned the project. A film adaptation of the novel, written and directed by Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood, was released in 2005. Schreiber's work as a screenwriter and director was recognized with nominations and awards at various film festivals.

Broadway and Theater Success

Schreiber is also renowned as a stage actor. He made his Broadway debut in 1993 and has appeared in numerous Shakespearean plays, including "Cymbeline," "Macbeth," "Hamlet" (which he headlined), and "Henry V."

In 2002, he starred opposite Sigourney Weaver in the commercially successful and critically acclaimed Broadway production of "Salome." In 2005, he won a Tony Award for his lead performance in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Glengarry Glen Ross." He received a Drama League Award and nominations for the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his role in the 2007 Broadway revival of Eric Bogosian's play "Talk Radio."

Philanthropy and Personal Life

Known for his vocal skills and diction, Schreiber frequently narrates television programs and documentaries for outlets such as PBS, HBO, and the History Channel. His voice can also be heard in Infiniti commercials.

Schreiber has a half-sister and four half-brothers (Max, Charles, Will, and Pablo), one of whom, Pablo, is also an actor. He has owned a Jack Russell Terrier named Chick since 2000. His hobbies include basketball, cycling, and fencing. He has also played soccer in the past.

Schreiber was engaged to actresses Christina Davis and Kate Driver, sister of actress Minnie Driver. In 2006, he became engaged to Australian actress Naomi Watts, his co-star in "The Painted Veil." Rumors of their marriage have remained unconfirmed. Alexander (Sasha) Pete, Naomi and Liev's son, was born on July 25, 2007, and Naomi is expecting their second child.