By Jillian Schenfeld
11:03am PDT, Aug 3, 2017
Liev Schrieber stars on Showtime's "Ray Donovan" as a Los Angeles-based "fixer" who gets himself into all sorts of trouble while simultaneously making the vexations of Hollywood's elite disappear. In honor of the crime-drama's fifth season premiere on Aug. 6, 2017, Wonderwall.com is unearthing 16 things you probably don't know (but should!) about the handsome star. Keep reading to get the inside scoop on all things Liev…
RELATED: Idris Elba's transformation from TV actor to major Hollywood player
1. His childhood nickname was Huggy
Liev Schreiber may look burly and masculine, but his child nickname was Huggy — and his mother, Heather, still calls him that! She told Esquire in June 2016 that she gave him that sobriquet, "Because as an infant he would reach out to grab you. He was very introverted as a kid. Precocious. A very attractive child. And athletic. Independent and fearless."
RELATED: The best movie and TV shows based on Stephen King's work
2. He was considered for a role in "The Dark Knight"
Liev Schreiber was one of several actors who were being considered for the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face in Christopher Nolan's film "The Dark Knight." Ultimately, the part went to Aaron Eckhart.
RELATED: Forgotten celeb couples of the '90s
3. He and Naomi Watts were an item for more than a decade
Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts called it quits in September 2016 after 11 years and two kids together. "There are good days and bad days and Liev and I are on great terms and we're trying to do our absolute best for the sake of the children and we hope to keep moving forward in that way," Naomi told Vogue Australia in May 2017.
4. He's an accomplished theater actor
Liev Schreiber is ubiquitously known in popular culture for his film and TV roles, but he's also a stage thespian and accomplished Shakespearean actor. He received the 2005 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in "Glengarry Glen Ross." He's also acted in plays such as "Talk Radio," "A View from the Bridge" and "Hamlet."
5. He's an incredibly hands on father
Liev Schreiber took his sons to Comic-Con in July 2017 and let them engage in some seriously fun cosplay: Kai dressed up as Harley Quinn and Sasha dressed up like a Jedi. "Parenting is about not being the star of the show, and I enjoy not being the center of the universe. When you're a young actor you have to be the center of your universe and it's what drives you. It's a real relief to have kids and move on from that way of thinking. That's a change that I embrace," Liev once told News.com.au.
6. Hugh Jackman helped him learn to embrace a healthy lifestyle
When Liev Schreiber landed the role of Sabretooth in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," he had to whip into shape fast. Co-star Hugh Jackman helped him embrace a healthy diet, trainers and a workout regimen. "I never used to believe in working on your body. Acting that smacked of vanity to me was bad for your acting, but I learned that wasn't true," Liev told Men's Journal in July 2015. "There's a whole set of tools available to you, and you're not using them because you're insecure or lazy, and I was both."
7. He has a soft spot for Magnolia Bakery
Liev Schreiber has a thing for Magnolia Bakery — and not just because of their impeccably palatable baked goods. He and ex-partner Naomi Watts had their first date outside Magnolia Bakery in New York City's West Village, where they chatted over cupcakes. "It was all very aboveboard," Liev told Vanity Fair in June 2015.
8. He owns a boutique advertising agency
Liev Schreiber founded an advertising agency with industry veteran Scott Carlson called Van's General Store. The New York City-based office doubles as a gallery and pop-up store for clients. "Scott always wanted to be an artist, and I always wanted to be in advertising," Liev told the New York Times in April 2014.
9. He's a Yale graduate
Liev Schreiber is an Ivy League graduate! He earned his M.F.A from the Yale School of Drama in 1992. In 2011, he delivered a lecture for the venerable institution's Elizabethan Club's 20th Annual Maynard Mack.
10. He used to be a bike messenger
Long before he portrayed the protagonist on "Ray Donovan," Liev Schreiber was a bike messenger in New York City. He still regularly rides his bike around the city with his children.
11. He meditates
Liev Schreiber grew up in New York City with a single mother who hauled him from ashram to ashram throughout his childhood. He still meditates and tries to practice for 20 minutes every day.
12. He loves a gin martini
According to a June 2015 Vanity Fair questionnaire, Liev Schreiber's go-to alcoholic beverage is a gin martini: up, dry and with olives.
13. He's suffered from panic attacks
If Liev Schreiber seems austere around a lot of people, it might be because he's feeling a bit anxious. "I get panic attacks in big crowds," he told W Magazine in 2008. The actor has also admitted to having obsessive-compulsive personality traits.
14. He loves the movie "Blade Runner"
In May 2017, Liev Schreiber shared his five favorite movies with Rotten Tomatoes. The list included "Being There," "Brazil," "La Promesse," "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope" and "Blade Runner."
15. He acted in the "Scream" trilogy
If you blinked, you might have missed it: Liev Schreiber portrayed Cotton Weary, the man originally accused of killing Sidney's mother, in the "Scream" trilogy. He was a relatively unknown actor when he took the part back in the '90s. "It was an auspicious beginning for me," he once told The Short List. "Bob Weinstein, who was a theater fan, called me into his office. He said he wanted me to do this thing for him. I'm $70,000 in debt from student loans, and I'm looking for a job wherever I can get it. He says all he wants me to do is walk down some stairs and get into a police car. Twenty seconds. Twenty grand. I was like, 'I'm yours.'"
16. He's been learning how to play the piano for a decade
The best gift Liev Schreiber ever received was a black Steinway mini grand piano from Naomi Watts. Funnily enough, he's not exactly a piano wunderkind. "I've probably spent the last eight years trying to learn the first page of the aria to the 'Goldberg Variations,'" he told Vanity Fair in June 2015.
