While my girl Kaiser was watching the US Open during her Labor Day weekend I was catching up with Ray Donovan, which was well worth it. (Sidenote: Ginger from True Blood is on Ray Donovan now!) So I’m a big Liev Schreiber fangirl and I just love him with Naomi Watts. (I know there were rumors we covered that they’ve been having trouble but I don’t want to hear it so shut your mouth.) The good news is that Liev and Noami were at The Venice Film Festival over the weekend, where they premiered their new boxer biopic, The Bleeder. Liev was honored with the Personal Tribute to Visionary Talent Award, and the first person he thanked was “my beautiful and talented partner in crime for over ten years, Naomi Watts.” That wasn’t some “thank you for working on our marriage for ten years,” cough Ben Affleck, that was genuine gratitude. Plus they posted lots of nice pics to social media, which I always enjoy.
Naomi and Liev star on The Bleeder as real life couple Chuck and Linda Wepner, and they’re well aware that it can be tricky for couples to act together. In a new video interview with USA Today, Watts says that she understands that it can be hard for audiences to see a real life couple on screen.
Naomi on working with Liev
Of course we’d love to work together a lot more. You don’t see real life couples on screen together a lot and I think there’s a reason for that. It’s not easy for an audience to suspend disbelief. That said, these two characters were so different than either of us. We get to make these physical transformations. It was fun for us.On how it’s hard to work with anyone too much
I don’t know that you can do it too many times. Even when you’re not part of a real life couple if you act with somebody you’ve done too many movies with it can be a little jarring.
I think it can be alternately jarring and comforting for audiences to see two actors on screen together in multiple movies. There’s a fine line to be walked in regard to ongoing demand to see certain couples together (i.e. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling) and burnout/disinterest (Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, or anyone with Adam Sandler basically). As for Liev and Naomi, this is actually their second movie together. They did The Painted Veil in 2006, where they played undercover lovers, but that wasn’t how they met. They first met in 2005 at the Met Costume Institute Gala.
Here are photos of Naomi and Liev at the premiere of The Bleeder in Venice. Naomi is in Elie Saab. I really like the belt of the dress coupled with those shoulder straps that go down the sides of the bodice. This design with the whimsical sequins birds and puffy flowers might look twee on someone else but she pulls it off. Her cap sleeve dress is from the photocall on Friday and it’s very 40s. I’m not sure if I like the shoes or not, but they do go with the dress. There’s something off about her hair in both cases but I think they were going for a retro look.
Also, they look really relaxed and happy here.
Photos credit: WENN.com
Third movie, they did Movie 43 together (and their segment was the funniest of that bad bunch). God, he’s beautiful – drool.
I too love them together and she looks gorgeous in the gold dress.
I think she has some work done around the eyes.
I can’t tell if she’s had work done or if it’s just because her eyebrows are darker now… though the eyebrows could be to distract from the work. She is so lovely and she looks fantastic either way. I wish Nicole Kidman would take a page from her book and age gracefully…. wrinkles do not make you ugly.
I love them and I would rather read more articles about the two of them than the DoLittles!
@artnoosa & @tegteg:
I thought the same thing: “WORK DONE! Not you, Naomi, not you…”
But as tegteg pointed out, maybe it’s the dark eyebrows, I hope.
I really don’t think she has. I saw a side view of her neck somewhere, and I was like “damn, it looks like mine.” Now I feel much less self conscious about it.
If you zoom in on the top photo you can see well-defined lines between her eyebrows, “crow’s feet” and under her eyes.
That gown is terrible, but the hair with it is worse. It’s like a terrible updo rendition of her hair as Princess Diana.
The other look is perfection . . . until you get to her feet. Too clunky and the color is off.
I see where she’s going with the belt, but with that buckle it looks too everyday/wear with jeans with the ethereal dress. Maybe it’s the lighting.
The bottom photo really shows their connection – you can see that they like each other, which is everything in a long-term romantic partnership.
Yep. Check how their hips are angled towards one another. Body language experts say that’s a sure sign a couple are in sync and comfortable with each other.
I like them together and I wish them well.
Still pissed with my cable company for dropping Showtime. I’m missing out on new Ray Donovan eps.
He’s hot. Love Ray Donovan.
Did he get a nose job? I could have sworn his side profile looked much different in The Painted Veil. His nose had a bump unless it was movie prosthetics.
I don’t know why, he just seems like he could be difficult to be with.
Love the yellow dress.
He is awesome, so glad they’re still together:)
She looks so gorgeous and fresh in the yellow dress, love the whole look. Agree that the gown hair is very bad.
I love Naomi, she’s so genuine and talented yet funny and down to earth. Yes, Naomi and Liev met at the Costume Institute Gala in 2005 – I’ve been her fan prior to that and was so glad to see her settled and with a truly great partner. Their kids are gorgeous!
I think that Liev struggles with depression or some other mental health issue more than anything else (he had an awful childhood) but he’s making an effort to be present for his family. I wish them all the best, they look great together.
I love them together. That halter dress is gorgeous!
I’ve always liked Naomis style and I think that old Hollywood-style clothes look beautiful on her. I really like the cut and styling of the second dress. Someone else might look little bit silly in that yellow dress because of the pattern, but Naomi wears it very well.
I think she looks great, love the dresses she chose. But the guy!!! Yuck. He’s so unnattractive to me.
More on Liev and Naomi please! They look happy and genuinely in love. And free of surgery. Altering the eyebrows can make a startling difference in a person’s appearance.
I figure the reason you don’t see real life couples on screen a lot would be disasters like Eyes Wide Shut and By The Sea. 🙂
Eyes Wide Shut was the first thing I thought of too! For some reason, I felt the need to watch it for the first time in probably a decade on Netflix and it’s SO weird to see those two together now. Also, I didn’t like seeing Alison from Hocus Pocus (and Ray Donovan’s departed reporter lovah!) in that condition haha!
Love them. Love Ray Donovan.