Liev (pronounced Lee-ev) is the son of Tell Schreiber, a theatrical actor with some film roles. His mother, Heather, was a painter. At age 1, the family moved from San Francisco to Canada. His parents divorced when he was 4 or 5. He and his mother then moved to New York, where she drove a cab. During that time, they lived as squatters in an abandoned building. His mother now lives in an ashram in Virginia. His mother taught him to read. She also forbade him from seeing color movies. Thus he grew up seeing movies at a local revival house, particularly those of Charlie Chaplin. Started acting at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Then graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 1992. He originally wanted to be a playwright, but his teacher encouraged him to become an actor.