Liev Schreiber on his partner Naomi Watts: ‘To me, we’re married’ (update)

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Liev Schreiber covers the upcoming issue of Cigar Aficionado Magazine. I remember reading an excellent interview they did with Matthew McConaughey a while back, and they recently got The Dude Jeff Bridges to talk about his past pot use. They have a way of getting celebrities to open up, probably with some nice scotch and Cuban cigars.

Schreiber is really killing it on Showtime’s new series Ray Donovan, which wrapped its first season last month. You can watch the entire season on demand if you subscribe to Showtime, and I would highly recommend it.

Schreiber talks a little in this interview about his character’s cigar smoking, which I guess they have to fit in there. He also gets candid about his relationship with his longterm partner, Naomi Watts, and says that he considers himself married. Liev and Naomi have been together eight years and they have two children together, sons Sasha, 6, and Samuel, nearly 5. We’ve heard engagement rumors about these two for years, but they’ve never been officially engaged as far as I can tell. What I want to know is: does Naomi feel the same, like they’re married? Here’s more.

When Liev Schreiber is asked what traits he shares with Ray Donovan, the eponymous character of his critically lauded Showtime series, his response is immediate and definitive: “Not one blood cell. I love Ray, but I wouldn’t want to be him for very long.” The self-proclaimed “uncomfortable and awkward kid” and New York theater mainstay is featured on the cover of the November/December 2013 issue of Cigar Aficionado, on newsstands November 5.

Hitting it Hard examines Schreiber’s relationship with longtime partner Naomi Watts (“To me, we’re married, though I guess that, legally, we’re a domestic partnership. I’m just happy we’re a great couple.”), as well as his oft-hidden comedic side (filmmaker Greg Mottola says, “People don’t know how funny he is. He loves a good prank or juvenile joke”). Schreiber has used cigars as a way into characters, both onstage and on film: “There’s something decadent that smoking a cigar passes on to a character, something relaxed and confident –or arrogant and brash.” He admits, “I really enjoy that feeling of being inebriated with the smoke. I only make it through about 10 puffs because I can’t resist inhaling.”

[From Cigar Aficionado, received via email]

That’s sweet what he said about Naomi. He sounds like he thinks of himself as a team with her, and that’s how it should be. Have you seen these photos of Naomi, Liev and their kids on their bikes and scooter riding around Manhattan? In one set of photos, Naomi is riding behind Liev on the same bike as their two kids. That looks dangerous and Naomi looks like she’s grimacing! They need a tandem bike if they all want to pile on like that. I love them though.

Update: The Cigar Aficionado people sent us these beautiful high res photos from Liev’s photoshoot.

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Photo credit: FameFlynet

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48 Responses to “Liev Schreiber on his partner Naomi Watts: ‘To me, we’re married’ (update)”

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  1. aims says:

    I think it’s sweet. everyone has the right to live their lives.

  2. Maggie says:

    Passable actor but very unattractive to me.

    • Maureen says:

      I agree. I don’t find his acting particularly compelling or charismatic, and I don’t go out of my way at all to see him or read about him. On the personal level he comes across constantly as moody and unpleasant. He may NOT be those things but that’s how he consistently comes across to me.

    • Pandy says:

      HAve to disagree. Really enjoy his acting and I think he’s good looking, albeit not in the normal pretty-boy way. Glad to read that he and Naomi seem solid. It makes him even more likeable.
      And I miss Ray Donovan – guess we have to get through winter/spring before season 2.

  3. blue marie says:

    I love them as a couple almost as much as Rachel/Daniel. Liev seems like a decent guy, what I know of him anyway.

    I actually stopped and watched a bit of Scream 2 when he popped up on my screen, had forgotten he was in those movies.

  4. Aras says:

    I still have a soft spot for Liev from back in the Scream days. Similarly, I loved Naomi Watts in Le Divorce. It was such a frothy movie, but they shot it in Paris! So, I love it. I also liked her in Fair Game. So, yeah, I like them individually and as a couple.

  5. Hubbahun says:

    **drools** Excuse me whilst I have a private moment…

  6. Elodie says:

    I loved his film Everything is Illuminated with Elijah Wood.
    Naomi Watts got my heart in 21 Grams, urgh she was phenomenal in there alongside Benicio Del Toro, that film is still haunting me to these days…

  7. LadyMTL says:

    Gah, those pics of the 4 of them on the bike made me super anxious and I don’t even have kids.

  8. Virgilia Coriolanus says:

    Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but I read rumors that pretty much confirmed that he cheats on her all the time–the one I read happened in Australia, maybe? He was caught making out with some woman, and in the end it was all hushed up (or something).

    • Celebitchy says:

      No! Shut your dirty mouth. I’m a professional gossip and I am shutting this down right now. I’ve never heard anything like that.

      • blue marie says:

        ha, thank you. let me hold on to my delusion that he doesn’t cheat.

        thanks a lot you guys, way to burst my bubble damnit!

      • Rachel says:

        @celebitchy: I’m sad to have to side with Virgilia. As another pro gossip, we ran that piece when the cheating rumours were huge. we got a major cease and desist from his lawyers, really angry letter. In the next day it was scrubbed from the internet; no one wanted to be sued, and why bother… it’s just one silly story. You know where it didn’t come down though? Australia. My guess is they were saying, “Go ahead and sue us. We know it’s true and so do you. Let’s blow this thing up.” And, since I was peeved about having to take it down, I scoured the forums and blogs that week to see if it was true, and man, so many individuals have tales to tell about seeing him cheating…

      • ncmagnolia says:

        Thank you, CB!! *plugs ears with fingers* La-la-lah! La-la-lah!!

      • Celebitchy says:

        Goddamnit Rachel now I believe it. Oh well. I’ll think of him as his tortured Ray Donovan character, loving his wife but being fallible. What year was this?

      • Sarah says:

        @Rachel: That is not true. It came from The Dirty and you know the Star is the NY Times next to them.
        they wrote that she is trying to get famous by sleeping with him but all she ever did publicy about it was denying the affair.

        It was a lie to grab clicks for advertising money.

        nice if you consider those people have families which can be broken up just because some stranger thought it was cool or was greedy.

      • Rachel says:

        I’ll try to believe Sarah and banish the less happy thoughts from my head.

        Adding: The Dirty is a gross POS I know

      • Liv says:

        Also when he was about to sue everbody I tend to believe that he didn’t cheat. When there’s truth in it they usually just threaten to sue, don’t they?

      • Thatly says:

        I vote cheater. I’ve seen him out with the nanny. Out alone with the nanny, to be clear. The younger nanny that he was rumored to be dealing with on the side last time. Haven’t seen her in pics so no idea if she’s still on the payroll.

    • Rachel says:

      @Celebitchy I think it was late 2011. I got yelled at by my boss, who didn’t understand how gossip works. I’ve transferred my frustration onto Liev. Ha.

    • bns says:

      I’m siding with Virgilia. The piece of gossip about him and the Australian girl was way too specific and detailed to not have some truth to it.

      It’s really not that hard to believe that he would cheat.

  9. RobN says:

    There’s something about a grown man on a scooter that sucks all the hot right out of them.

    • ag-UK says:

      ooh I love a scooter very European. A lot of men here (London) ride them as no congestion charge and easier to park but I would be worried as it looks dangerous. I would have one but too afraid.

  10. NYC_girl says:

    I love them (and Ed Norton) In “The Painted Veil.” One of my favorite movies!!

  11. Mandy says:

    Heck, I thought that they were married!

  12. Hannah says:

    I’ve never noticed Naomi’s legs before! Wowza!

  13. V4Real says:

    Why did I think they were already married?
    Anyways I like him and I don’t care about the cheating rumors. Of course I might be a bit bias because he was extremely nice when I met him in the West Village a few years back.

  14. Dawn says:

    Well I can see that point spiritually but legally is a different matter. But they are well-to-do and I am sure have good lawyers and wills in place should something happen to either of them so that kids are taken care of.

  15. Dhavynia says:

    I never found him that attractive until I started watching Ray Donovan. He makes his character so appealing that now he’s all kinds of hot. I hope he’s not a cheater but I wouldn’t be surprised which is a shame

  16. Axis2ClusterB says:

    I love him and I love them as a couple. They make me happy, so I’ll just refuse to believe any badness.

  17. Sabrine says:

    He reminds me of Mr. Bates from Downton Abbey.

  18. The Original G says:

    She looks great. She’s aging so well.

  19. RHONYC says:

    that family bike pic is hilariously adobz!

    such a hottie he is…a definite DILF indeed! 😛

  20. Barbara says:

    I agree, I don’t want any rumors out there re cheating…for either of them. Just love the family, and heard she could try for a girl before she is too old. Hope so.

  21. We Miss You Enclave_24 says:

    I really dont like to throw shade…..but…..since the moment they became a couple (a super cute couple) I’ve always had this feeling that she is weak and he is the epitome of “my way or the highway” . I get the impression she would dive on a sword or jump in a lake of fire to keep the relationship.

  22. hiddlesgirl85 says:

    I love both Liev and his younger, half-brother Pablo Schreiber (my new actor crush). You probably either know Pablo as “Pornstache” from Orange is the New Black; the sociopath and serial rapist who kidnapped Olivia Benson this season on Law & Order: SVU; or Nick Sobotka from the second season of “The Wire”! Both brothers are educated, handsome, and talented actors.

  23. marina says:

    He is amazing in Ray Donovan. That show is fantastic. As much as I dislike Jon Voight he’s terrific as Mickey Donovan. I’m sure we will see a lot of Emmy nominations for that show next year.

  24. Amelia says:

    You know, if people want to feel married they should get married. Until you do, you aren’t.

    Nothing against people who don’t get married, as it’s not for everyone. But it is not the same as living together (especially in community property states), and I get a little irked when people say they feel married so there is no need to get married.

    • Nicole says:

      I suppose that depends on your definition of married and your jurisdiction. If you take religion out of it – which we do in Canada (we have separation of church and state) marriage is a legally binding contract, consisting of the exchange of promises between two consenting adults who have no impediment to making the promises. And as every lawyer knows, on oral promise is as binding as a written one, and our statutes recognize that, so no ceremony or written contract is required to create a legally binding union. There is still criteria, it’s just different from those who chose to go with a written contract.

      And as my husband and I have said for the last 20 years, if you can’t trust the word of the person you commit your life to, whose can you trust? So, in the eyes of the law, our family, our community and each other, we’re married. We just chose to evidence it differently than someone who wants a civil or religious exchange of promises.

      So, contrary to what you say, people don’t need a ceremony to be married.

  25. JillyRo says:

    I love her more than him, but like them both as actors, both are good in whatever they do. . I always get a feeling he has a temper though. He looks like he is one minute away from losing his cool at times. But he looks like a good dad, like a real softie when he’s with his kids. Just something about him screams my-way-or-the-highway in relationships for some reason. I refuse to believe he cheated wtih Scarjo when they starred on Broadway together, because I like Naomi and hate that he would do that to her. I thinK Naomi is wants to keep her family together at all costs and as long as she believes in him, that’s what truly counts.

  26. Gilmore says:

    Sometimes he reminds me of an irl Ron Swanson with that voice and those roles.

  27. Trixie says:

    Loving Liev and Naomi. What a hot couple.

  28. Rux says:

    I am “Lamar” hooked on Ray Donovan; it’s great if you love the whole “Celebitchy” aspect of the show too.

  29. Boxy Lady says:

    I love these two as a couple. As for Liev, that dude has issues aplenty. He did an interview with Rolling Stone, I think, a few months back, that went more in-depth about his super-crazy upbringing. It seems that actually being married is something he is working his way up to. In the meantime, he is seeking therapy to wade through all of his childhood stuff. I’m sure Naomi knows about his early life and that may be why she is not so quick to let him go if she knows about any cheating. He apparently has enough abandonment issues going on already and she may not want to add to it. Just speculation, of course.

  30. Mitch Buchanan Rocks! says:

    Naomi Watts is amazing in the movie Mother and Child along with Annette Benning, they are very convincing as mother and daughter.