Liev Schreiber Movies
Displaying the kind of off-kilter charm that makes him a natural for leading roles in independent films and character parts in mainstream features, Liev Schreiber has made a name for himself on both circuits. Born October 4, 1967, in San Francisco, Schreiber was raised on New York's Lower East Side. A graduate of Hampshire College in Massachusetts, he initially wanted to become a writer, but later decided to try his hand at acting, training at both London's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Yale School of Drama.Schreiber's first acting job was on Broadway, where he appeared in In the Summer House. More theater work followed and in 1994, the actor made his film debut in the Steve Martin comedy Mixed Nuts. The film was an unequivocal flop, although Schreiber's role as a rather muscular transvestite proved to be one of the picture's few memorable features.
His next project, the 1995 indie Denise Calls Up, fared a little better; despite almost non-existent box-office ratings, it was rewarded with critical approval. Following more minor film work, he landed the role of a British bouncer in the successful indie flick Party Girl (1995), which also starred nascent indie queen Parker Posey. Schreiber got an introduction to a more mainstream audience thanks to his role as killer Cotton Weary in Wes Craven's mega-hit Scream, a role he reprised in the film's sequel, Scream 2 (1997). The same year, Schreiber had leading roles in two more independent films, The Daytrippers (which again paired him with Posey) and Walking and Talking, as well as a secondary role in the bloated Mel Gibson thriller Ransom.
Deftly straddling the divide between Sundance and the studio, Schreiber went on to make three major mainstream pictures in 1998: Phantoms, with Rose McGowan and Ben Affleck; Twilight with Susan Sarandon, Paul Newman, and Gene Hackman; and Sphere with Samuel L. Jackson, Sharon Stone, and Dustin Hoffman. The following year, Schreiber returned to more familiar territory with his role in Tony Goldwyn's small but successful drama A Walk on the Moon. As the man Diane Lane cuckolds for Viggo Mortensen, Schreiber mined endless possibilities from what could have been a narrow role, giving his character the sort of charming, good-intentioned inadequacy that became one of the actor's trademarks.
In 2000, Schreiber returned to the role of Cotton Weary a third time to close out the Scream franchise. It was around this time that he also began doing a considerable amount of voice-over work, mainly for PBS's NOVA series. As the decade progressed, Schreiber continued to be a presence in bigger mainstream projects, such as the 2002 adaptation of Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears. Two years later, he could be seen in another high-profile, politically tinged thriller, this time opposite Denzel Washington in director Jonathan Demme's remake of The Manchurian Candidate.
In 2005 he made his directorial and screenwriting debut with Everything Is Illuminated, and appeared in the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe-winning HBO movie Lackawanna Blues, a life-affirming film about a selfless black woman (played by S. Epatha Merkerson) in 1950s segregated New York who provides a home and a guiding hand to the youths who come to live at her boarding house. His 2006 project would be quite a departure from this sweet, poignant tale, as Schreiber took the role of Robert Thorne in John Moore's remake of the 1976 horror classic The Omen. Heavily publicized for its "666" release date (June 6th, 2006), the film pleased horror fans, as did Schreiber's performance as husband to Julia Stiles and father to the infamous Damien, a little boy who seems to harbor an evil that at best makes him disturbingly cold and at worst, places him at the crux of the devil's own plan for hell on Earth.
Schreiber next went into production on The Painted Veil, an adaptation of the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Playing the playboy whom Naomi Watts cuckolds her husband with, the actor immersed himself in the part for the drama. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 2010
Director Phillip Noyce teams with screenwriters Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium) and Brian Helgeland (Mystic River) to craft this thriller starring Angelina Jolie as dedicated CIA officer Evelyn Salt, who is accused by a defector of being a Russian spy. With each attempt Salt makes to prove her innocence, her mentor, Winter (Liev Schreiber), only grows more suspicious of her true motivations. The longer she eludes capture by ambitious CIA agent Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the higher the stakes get. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, (more)
- 2009
- Add Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times to QueueAdd Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times to top of Queue
This insightful documentary looks back at the founding of the Los Angeles Times, and chronicles the various generations of the Chandler family who have served as publisher. ~ Carly Wray, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber, Hal Holbrook, (more)
- 2009
500 years after Michelangelo's death, art historian Antonio Forcellino unearths evidence of the prominent artist's involvement with a clandestine fellowship that was attempting to reform the Catholic Church from within. Michelangelo's artwork virtually defined religion for the masses, but was there another side to his religious views? Not only did the group Michelangelo was involved with level damning accusations of corruption against the Catholic Church, they also supported ideas that were considered so heretical they were punishable by death. As Michelangelo attempted to reconcile his views of the church against his personal beliefs regarding salvation, his involvement with the radical group put him at perilous odds with church officials whose power and rulings were absolute. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
- 2009
As originally aired and seen on PBS, this documentary program explores the life, times and innumerable accomplishments of Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915), one of the chief proponents of the 'Arts and Crafts Movement' - a sort of creative renaissance in American handiwork that blossomed between about 1880 and 1910. Some championed Hubbard as a great talent and a visionary; others derided him as a charlatan and a huckster, driven his own need to attain immortality. Drawing from vintage archival materials and incisive historical analysis, this program explores the many facets of Hubbard's world and the legacy he left behind. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber, Adam Arkin, (more)
- 2009
Approximately 13,000 years after the mighty mammoth and 35 other groups of mammals vanished from North America, some scientists pose the controversial theory that a massive impact from space may have heralded their demise. For the past four decades, experts have been at odds over what causes this mass extinction. While mainstream scholars pose that the changing climate or ancient hunters were likely to blame for driving the beasts into oblivion, others believe that a comet from deep space may have broken up over North America, causing a devastating series of explosions that decimated the landscape, and wiped out animal populations. The proof, they claim, lies in the discovery of a mysterious "black mat" layer at over fifty sites across the continent. The materials found in the "black mats" include rare, microscopic "nanodiamonds," which are thought to be the product of extraterrestrial impact. In this documentary, filmmakers pose that perhaps all three theories share an common element of truth. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
- 2008
When the remains of over 400 mutilated bodies were unearthed in Mexico, historians were at a complete loss at how to explain such a grim discovery. In this documentary, filmmakers question everything we ever thought we knew about this ancient civilization by offering a compelling new take on the violent relationships between the central Aztecs and the Conquistadors. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
- 2008
It marks an odd and intriguing footnote to the Second World War: liberation-linked discoveries aside, the world attained much of its knowledge about what happened in Auschwitz from two concentration camp prisoners, Alfred Wetzler and Rudolph Vrba, who escaped from that hellhole and determined to reveal the breadth and depth of the brutality they had witnessed to Allied nations and officials. After commandeering a miraculous escape from the said death penitentiary, Vrba and Wetzler prepared a 32-page document known as the Vrba-Wetzler Report and promptly delivered it to Allied officials - thereby saving the lives of countless potential victims. In the process, however, Hungarian ruler Miklós Horthy deliberately withheld this information from his countrymen for a lengthy period. To no one's surprise, this stirred up massive degrees of controversy and dissent. The documentary Secrets of the Dead: Escape from Auschwitz details this remarkable series of events via interviews, archival footage and commentary. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
- 2008
This documentary explores what scientists now believe caused the destruction of Minoan civilization almost five thousand years ago. Experts believed a tsunami destroyed the cities built by people that many believe to be the first Europeans to use a written language. Some believe these events may have provided the impetus for the creation of the myth of Atlantis. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
- 2008
- Add NOVA: The Bible's Buried Secrets to QueueAdd NOVA: The Bible's Buried Secrets to top of Queue
Golden Globe nominated actor Leiv Schreiber narrates this feature-length documentary taking viewers on a remarkable scientific journey that began 3000 years ago, and presents findings that stand as the culmination of over 100 years of excavation and centuries of biblical scholarship. By delving deep into the origins of the Old Testament, archeologists attempt to find answers to such timeless questions as where the ancient Israelites came from, who wrote The Bible, and why the world that was once polytheistic began a gradual movement towards monotheism. As the biblical texts continue to resonate through history, The Bible's Buried Secrets takes viewers to the intersection of scholarship, science, and scripture in order to explore the questions that Christians and theologians have been asking for centuries. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber, Stockard Channing, (more)
Academy Award-nominated director Oren Jacoby helmed this documentary adaptation of former Catholic priest James Carroll's nonfiction book of the same name. An anti-war activist, Carroll delves into Christianity's history to learn how a faith founded on peace could come to be used as a tool for war-mongers. Jacoby follows Carroll as he explores the phenomenon from its origins in ancient times up through the modern-day U.S. military. Constantine's Sword screened at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2008
Emmy award-winning filmmaker David Grubin explores the struggle of a tiny minority to integrate itself into the American mainstream while remaining true to their roots in this documentary that begins as 17th Century Jews arrive in New Amsterdam, and traces their journey as they contend with racism and suspicion in a fledgling republic. Ever since the first Jews arrived in America, their efforts to embrace the new culture while simultaneously maintaining tradition has often found them frequently branded as outsiders. When the first Jews landed on American shores in 1654, New Amsterdam governor Peter Stuyvesant attempted to reject them to no avail. Overruled by his superiors in the Netherlands - who claimed that Jews could contribute to the growth of the newly founded colony as well as anyone else - Stuyvesant relented, and a new era was underway. Over the course of the next few centuries, the Jews would play prominent roles in such important phases of United States history as the Civil War and westward expansion. From politics to entertainment, the Jews would continue to display their unique talent for innovation and adaptation in a wide variety of arenas. Yet despite the fact that the separation of church and state would open up a wide world of opportunities for them, the American Jew continued to endure anti-Semitism at the behest of such powerful figures as automotive magnate Henry Ford. Through it all, however, their spirits remained eternally hopeful, and forever unbroken. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
- 2008
Widely regarded as the greatest boxer of his generation -- perhaps the greatest in the history of the sport -- Muhammad Ali lost his license to box in 1967 when he refused to be conscripted into the military, citing religious objections as a Muslim. Ali was out of the boxing game for three years until the State of Georgia allowed him to fight Jerry Quarry (who quit after three rounds due to cuts) in October 1970 and after Ali defeated Oscar Bonavena two months later, the stage was set for Ali to reclaim the world heavyweight title. However, on March 1, 1971, Ali faced Joe Frazier for the first time at New York's Madison Square Garden, and Frazier handed Ali his first professional defeat; if Frazier lacked some of Ali's finesse, his strength and stamina were unmatched, and Frazier's victory came as a surprise to many fight fans. Ali hardly took the defeat graciously; in the hoopla over the "Fight of the Century," he'd called Frazier "ugly," a "gorilla", "ignorant" and an "Uncle Tom," and when the two fighters staged a rematch at Madison Square Garden in January 1974, the stakes seemed as much personal as professional. Ali defeated Frazier in their second match, which lead to "The Thrilla in Manila," a widely hyped final rematch in which Ali and Frazier fought one another for the last time in October 1975. Frazier's trainer refused to allow his fighter to return to the ring after fourteen intense and brutal rounds, but Ali collapsed while claiming his victory and told a reporter the final rounds were "the closest thing to dying I know of." While the Ali-Frazier fights have often been examined from Ali's point of view, filmmaker John Dower gives Joe Frazier a chance to tell his side of the story on The Thriller in Manila, a documentary that explores of the greatest rivalries in the history of professional sport, and how the friendship between the two men became a bitter feud by the time they entered in the ring in the Philippines. The Thriller in Manila received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2007
- Add Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry to QueueAdd Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry to top of Queue
For over a century, The Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes have been doing battle on the college gridiron. This documentary traces the rich history of this storied rivalry, underlining the importance it plays to both schools, and profiles some the games' legendary figures including Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
The filmmakers from NOVA set out on a quest to find the world's earliest flower in a special documentary that explores the plant form that has long been at the epicenter of human existence. Flowers show how we feel about others, fill our gardens with beauty, and help to provide us with food and medicine -- yet scientists have yet to discover a definitive answer to the question of how they evolved. When a fossil that had previously bloomed during the age of the dinosaur surfaced in China's Hengduan Mountains, the controversy that followed baffled and intrigued scientists on every continent. It would appear that this area, commonly referred to as the "Mother of All Gardens," was the birthplace of every form of flower from the clematis to the primrose. With this release, curious nature lovers can follow filmmakers as they explore the mysteries of the most spectacular flowers on the planet. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
UCLA Dynasty documents the twelve year span from 1964 through 1975 where the UCLA Bruins under the steady hand of coach John Wooden won ten NCAA men's basketball titles, considered by many experts to be the greatest dynasty in American team sports. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2007
- Add Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure to QueueAdd Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure to top of Queue
Produced in association with National Geographic, Sean Phillips' Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure utilizes state-of-the-art three dimensional photography in order to tell the tale of Dolly, a prehistoric sea creature who negotiates the waters at a time when a sea divides North America into two parts. The film alternates between these fictional recreations, and modern scientists exploring these areas in the present day. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
For millions of marathon runners worldwide, Patriots Day looms steadily and prominently on the horizon; such is the pivotal day when untold numbers journey to Boston, Massachusetts to participate in the legendary, 26.2 mile Boston Marathon. As produced by WGBH - Boston public television and directed by Daniel McCabe, the documentary NOVA: The Marathon Challenge cross-cuts between the lives of 13 Boston Marathon trainees as they psych themselves up for the "big run" during the 2007 event; the program undertakes an unusual approach, however, by specifically honing in on the underdogs - participants who are less than fit (and who lead sedentary lifestyles), but who nevertheless determine to whip their bodies into top shape for the said event despite the many obstacles and challenges that stand in their way. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber, Julia Cort, (more)
Hosted by Dana Reeve, the documentary The New Medicine shows how such techniques as meditation and relaxation can offer benefits that many doctors have not considered. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2005
- Add NOVA: Saving the National Treasures to QueueAdd NOVA: Saving the National Treasures to top of Queue
Saving the National Treasures documents the care and restoration of quintessential American totems as the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. This episode of the award-winning NOVA series shows how modern science and technology have been used in order to save precious cornerstones of American history. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
A young boy grows up among a makeshift family of oddballs and dreamers in this adaptation of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's acclaimed one-man show. Ruben Junior (Marcus Carl Franklin) is a young boy who was born in the late '40s into a family that started crumbling not long after he was born. Ruben Junior's parents were from Lackawanna, a city in Upstate New York, and were living in a rooming house run by Nanny Crosby (S. Epatha Merkerson), whose place was a hub for the local African-American community. When Ruben Junior's parents split up, he and his mother return to Lackawanna and Nanny's rooming house; with mother overworked physically and in sad shape emotionally, Nanny takes Ruben Junior under her wing, and offers him the sort of nurturing she gives all her boarders. Nanny's house is full of people struggling for a fresh start in life, ranging from former convicts to recovering drug addicts, and she opens both her doors and her heart to them as they strive to make themselves better people. Ruben Junior finds a loving home amidst the colorful eccentrics in Nanny's circle of friends, but as America changes over the course of the 1950s and '60s, so does the neighborhood where Nanny and her tenants live -- and not for the better. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, Lackawanna Blues features a stellar supporting cast, including Delroy Lindo, Louis Gossett Jr., Rosie Perez, Jimmy Smits, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, and Ernie Hudson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- S. Epatha Merkerson, Julie Benz, (more)
The remarkable life of baseball's most beloved icon comes to the screen with the kind of loving attention to detail only achieved by the respectful, sports-loving documentary filmmakers at pay-cable giant HBO. Filmed in part to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the legendary switch-hitter's death, this film tells the remarkable tale of the athlete who overcame constant, nagging injuries to blast 536 home runs out of the ballpark over the course of 18 unforgettable seasons and swing his way into the history books. A charming country boy who would beat the odds to become the toast of New York, Mickey Mantle's charmed life came to a tragic end when, as he was receiving an operation to replace his damaged liver, doctors discovered that the baseball great had inoperable cancer. As filmmakers speak to the people who knew Mantle best, including his teammates, his sons, his wife Merlyn, and sportscaster Bob Costas, baseball fans are afforded the rare opportunity to watch from the stands as history is made in the ballpark. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Secrets of the Dead: The Hunt for Nazi Scientists documents the attempt to bring to justice the various men of science who helped build Hitler's Third Reich. The film utilizes a wealth of historical footage along with interviews given by both people who were involved in the events depicted and by historians. The film shows how some of the work done by these men had a direct effect on international post-war life. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber
- 2005
- Add Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team to QueueAdd Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team to top of Queue
Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team documents how a group of five women formed the core of the international team that captured the Women's World Cup. Team members Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and others share stories about their time on the team, and the filmmakers provide much footage of the team in action. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
