Liev (pronounced Lee-ev) is the son of Tell Schreiber, a theatrical actor with some film roles. His mother, Heather, was a painter. At age 1, the family moved from San Francisco to Canada. His parents divorced when he was 4 or 5. He and his mother then moved to New York, where she drove a cab. During that time, they lived as squatters in an abandoned building. His mother now lives in an ashram in Virginia. His mother taught him to read. She also forbade him from seeing color movies. Thus he grew up seeing movies at a local revival house, particularly those of Charlie Chaplin. Started acting at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Then graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 1992. He originally wanted to be a playwright, but his teacher encouraged him to become an actor.
Graduated from Friends Seminary High School in Manhattan Attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art & Hampshire College Son of actor Tell Schreiber and Heather Training: Yale School of Drama Has four half brothers and one half sister His mother says she named him after her favorite author , Leo Tolstoy. His father says he was named after a doctor in San Francisco who saved his mother's life. Attended high school with actress Amanda Peet when he was a senior and she was a freshman. Brother of actor Pablo Schreiber Both of his parents are of German heritage. His mother German-Jewish and his father was of German-Catholic heritage. Liev was raised and practices as a Jew. Frequently does voice-over and narration work for advertisements and documentaries. Prefers to keep his dating life private, although he has been romantically linked to actress Kristin Davis and to film producer Kate Driver (Minnie Driver's sister). Has worked with actress Rose McGowan in two different horror films - _Scream (1996)_ and Phantoms. Last name means "writer" in German Along with David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and Jamie Kennedy, he is one of only five actors to appear in all three 'Scream' films. After his parents divorced, he and his siblings saw their father very little during childhood. The role for which he won his first Tony award (Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross) also won Joe Mantegna the Featured Actor in a Play Tony for the same role 21 years earlier in 1984. The 2005 production was directed by Joe Mantello. Yale graduate. He accompanied his girlfriend Naomi Watts to the King Kong premiere in New York. It was their first public appearance together. Won the 2005 Tony Award® Best Featured Actor in a Play for Glengarry Glen Ross.