Liev Schreiber Breaks Silence On Sudden Split From Naomi Watts

The breakup of Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts came as a surprise to their fans, but none could have been more devastated by the split than Liev and Naomi themselves. After taking the time to adapt to finding themselves suddenly single, the former couple have taken an opportunity to open up about the split on separate occasions. For Schreiber, that means talking about creating a new dynamic for him and his former partner, amid the pain that the breakup has caused. As Liev bares his soul, he shares his thoughts on relating to Watts and on how he moves forward.

Liev Schreiber Finds A Future Without Naomi Watts Frightening

People reports that Liev Schreiber feels frightened by the idea of a future without Naomi, but, as he responds to the question, Schreiber points out that he and Watts will always be connected through their children. While romance may no longer be an aspect to their relationship, Liev and Naomi will remain friends, co-parenting and doing the best they can for their children.

“I feel like change is always scary, but that’s only because transition for anyone is new and you wonder how things are going to go,” said Liev.

After 11 years together as a couple, Watts and Schreiber share two children together, Sasha, 8, and Samuel, 7. Like many couples who find themselves facing a change in status, Liev and Naomi have had to redefine who they are in relation to one another, but, even so, Schreiber says they’ll always be there for one another as a type of extended family.

“But we’re parents together, so we’ll be together for the rest of our lives, no matter what,” says Liev, who recently co-starred with Ms. Watts in The Bleeder. “And we’re very close. Hopefully that never changes, and I don’t think it will.”

Les Liaisons Dangereuses Brings Liev Schreiber To Broadway

While Liev may be nursing a broken heart, CBS News reports that the actor is keeping busy. While he’s currently free from his Ray Donovan shooting schedule, Mr. Schreiber is in New York, performing live on stage in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, playing Vicomte de Valmont. Liev’s Valmont is an 18th century French womanizer who finds himself tasked with corrupting a woman before her impending wedding.

While Schreiber is known for playing the tough guy and some rather unsavory characters, from Scream‘s Cotton Weary to his Ray Donovan title character, the actor says he never felt that Valmont was the right character for him. He admits he still feels uncomfortable in the role.

“It’s a beast of a play. A lot of dialogue, particularly for Valmont. I think the sexual indiscretion part of it and the scandal of it is really complicated,” Schreiber said. “I think it starts out very funny and it goes to some relatively dark places.”

If Liev feels unsettled by his Broadway role, one must wonder what made him take on the part. In response, the Ray Donovan star says he was beginning to feel boxed in by his television role and was looking to expand his horizons beyond TV and film. Schreiber says Les Liaisons Dangereuses seemed like the perfect way for him to expand his repertoire.

There is one drawback that Liev says bothers him about getting the experience in a Broadway show and that is the time it takes up, which he might otherwise spend with his children.

“I have two sons, seven and nine, Sasha and Kai – the problem is, is that you have no time to be with them on a theater schedule,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber notes the irony in that he took the role in the Broadway show in part to be closer to his sons, yet doing the show has kept him too busy to spend that time with the boys he shares with Ms. Watts.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses will show in New York City’s Booth Theatre through January 8.

[Featured Image by Mike Windle/Getty Images]