"I am only truly confident with characters": Liev Schreiber addresses the downside of fame 

Recently, Liev Schreiber, American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer, sat for the April cover story of Haute Living magazine. In the cover story titled Liev Schreiber Gets Philosophical on the Benefit of ‘Doubt’, published on April 11, he got candid about the concept of fame, its downsides, and the pros and cons of social media in his life.

When asked when he feels he is the best version of himself, the Ray Donovan actor replied that it is when he is in front of the camera:

"It depends on me being confident about me [myself], which I'm not nearly as much as people think I am — that's why I am an actor. I am only truly confident with characters," he noted.

Liev Schreiber added that although his phone is “ruining” his life by wasting away much of his time and energy, he can’t seem to move on from it.

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Liev Schreiber is seeking deeper connections in real-life

In the interview with Laura Schreffle, Liev Schreiber opened up about the impact of social media and the idea of fame. While discussing how greatly he is attached to his smartphone, he mentioned:

"It's the phone. The phone is ruining my life. I lie in bed on the… phone for four hours and I write emails. I look at stupid videos. It's just a total waste of my life. But there it is, I am mostly looking at animal videos, and they mostly involve raccoons."

The 56-year-old further continued by saying:

"When you are trying to figure this world out... when you are dealing with kids and schedules, and all of the things one has to do when one is older than 15, sometimes it helps to look at a raccoon."

The Asteroid City star added how humans have become “self-involved” and he blamed social media for the same, stating that it “has contributed to that by polarizing us and tribalizing us even further for the purpose of marketing.”

According to Liev Schreiber, the upsides of social media are the funny clips that help him zone out and cope with the harsh realities of the world, and the downsides include making him more self-absorbed. Hence, he is seeking deeper connections and meaningful relationships in the real world, away from his phone screen.

"All you ever want in life is just to feel connected and like your life's not a waste of time… We've all got issues, but the thing that binds us together is that we are unsure — and that gives us confidence," he noted.

The father of three also mentioned how being in front of the camera brings out the best in him and makes him feel more “confident” than he is, especially when he is working closely with different and unconventional characters.

Liev Schreiber explained that random stories did not interest him anymore, and that he now makes a sincere effort to immerse himself in projects he truly believes in. Sharing his insights on fame, he stated:

"The older I get, the more I think I want it to matter when I work. Of course, it doesn't always — in fact, it rarely does — but it's nice when it does, when one of your jobs means something to people… When you are young, you think that’s what being famous will do, make you happy, make you desired. And then you realize that’s not the case.”

The RKO 281 star explained that with age, providing for your “growing family” matters more than fame, and knowing that the job you do helps you connect with people makes you feel “good” about yourself.

Liev Schreiber also got candid about his personal journey towards embracing that he was not a “bad” actor and that making a “fool” of himself was the only way to do it. He also talked about appreciating the “freedom” of choice he had while choosing the work he does.

“You forget that sometimes, because when you do something for a while, people think you’re good or attractive — something you want to be in real life — but it was just a character that you created. I think that’s the problem with fame; you start to believe your own press. A real career in the arts is about trying to figure out identity,” he explained.

Elsewhere in the interview, Liev Schreiber talked about beating obstacles while reviving his forthcoming venture, the Broadway classic Doubt: A Parable. He also discussed the future of American democracy, continued unrest across the world, and balancing his family life, career, and philanthropy among others.