Movies

"Everything Is Illuminated" Comes to Screen Sept. 16

Liev Schreiber is best known for his roles in such movies as "The Manchurian Candidate," "The Sum of All Fears," the "Scream" trilogy, "The Daytrippers" and "Big Night."

Now he's moving into the role of filmmaker with the upcoming "Everything Is Illuminated," the big-screen adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel about a young man searching for the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Schreiber wrote and directed the movie, which stars Elijah Wood and opens in limited release Sept. 16. (It comes to Washington on Sept. 23.)

Schreiber will be online Monday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m. ET to answer questions about the film and his career as both an actor and director.

Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.

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Washington, D.C.: Off topic, but I have to ask:

I read that you're slated to work on a re-make of "The Omen." Aren't you a-scared of messing with a classic? (I know, I know, you got this with "The Manchurian Candidate" and never dreamt folks would have the same concerns about "The Omen.")

Liev Schreiber: Yes, always scared of messing with a classic, but like "Manchurian Candidate," the updated "Omen" promises to be timely and exciting.

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Hampton, Va.:

How was Elijah Wood selected? Did you consider other actors and if so, who were they?

Liev Schreiber: When Jonathan Safran Foer and I started to talk about making this film, it was in the fall of 2001, shortly after Sept. 11. I told him that part of the reason I loved his book so much and wanted to make this film was because I wanted to present a different kind of American character, especially to international audiences. I had been working in Europe and given the events of the past few years, we were not exactly popular. Also, there seemed to be a lot of cliches about Americans, which is probably the fault of our own media. But the idea behind "Illuminated" is that we presented an American who was vulnerable and innocent and open and, more than anything, searching for his roots beyond the boundaries of his own country.

It seemed like that kind of American character could maybe bridge some of the gaps we had created in the last decade or so. I had considered other actors but ultimately felt that Elijah represented this the best.

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Arlington, Va.: I am a big fan of the "Scream" trilogy and your character Cotton. I was wondering how you got the part in the film and what impact the trilogy has had on your career.

Liev Schreiber: It's had a lot of impact. It's probably the most recognizable film I've ever done, which is ironic because I was only in it for a couple of minutes total. I think it definitely gave me a leg up in the business.

I had done a film for Bob Weinstein, who was the head of Dimension, called "Phantoms." And he asked me if, as sort of a favor, I would do that.

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Alexandria, Va.: Liev, I caught you in "Phantoms" the other night on TV and I gotta say, you make a very effective and creepy villain. Any chance we'll see more of your dark side in upcoming movies?

Liev Schreiber: I'm looking for a comedy right now. After "The Omen," I think I will have done enough of the dark side for a while. "Glengarry" really made me eager to do some more comedy.

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Chicago, Ill.: Loved you in "Glengarry" -- did you spend time in Chicago? You seemed to have nailed a certain personality type that was spot-on.

Also, what advice do you have for those auditioning for MFA acting programs?

Liev Schreiber: First of all, thank you. No, I haven't really spent much time in Chicago at all. I worked off some recordings I had made of Chicago natives.

In terms of the MFA program, pick audition material that is appropriate to you and that you enjoy performing. More than anything I think it's the pleasure you find in performing that really comes across.

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Arlington, Va.: Are there any problems involved with directing and shooting an actor like Elijah Wood who is famous for one particular role? Did you find yourself cutting anything because it looked too canned, or too Frodo-y?

Liev Schreiber: No. I was most influenced by Elijah from a performance that he gave on a film called "The Ice Storm." I enjoyed his work on "Lord of the Rings," but it played a very small part in my decision to cast him.

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Cleveland Heights, Ohio: Hello. How did you come to know Jonathan Safran Foer (or, do you?); when did you first read the novel?

Thanks for your time.

Liev Schreiber: Before the novel was published, I read an excerpt from it that he submitted to The New Yorker to be a part of their new writers fiction series. I was asked to do a reading of the piece by The New Yorker. And I was so taken with it that I asked them if I could meet him.

We met at a bar and found we had a lot in common, similar backgrounds and similar stories. He agreed to let me make the film out of the book. We spent a considerable amount of time together.

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Peter, Chicago, Ill.: Enjoyed your documentary/narration work very much.

Can you talk a little about some of your favorite narrations? Especially enjoyed the documentary on the 1980 Olympic hockey team.

Liev Schreiber: I think my all-time favorite is a series of shows for WGBH called "The History of Rock-and-Roll," which is, I think, probably the best music documentary I've ever seen. I also enjoyed "The History of the CIA." Very creepy but really insightful.

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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: You're among the top five actors in my book -- one of the few whose movies I watch for your participation, even if I'm not necessarily interested in the movie itself. OK, enough gushing: Why did you get into acting? Did you have a career goal or path before this? Thank you.

Liev Schreiber: No, no the gushing is good.

I studied animal behavior and playwrighting in college. I suppose if you combine the two, you end up with acting.

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Portland, Ore.: So much of what made the book special was Alexander's marvelous broken English. Did you do anything to bring that humor and absurdity across in the film?

Liev Schreiber: I agree; for me, Alex's malaprops and cultural eccentricity is the heart of the film. A lot of Jonathan's lines were lifted directly from the book. I hope you'll like, they crack me up.

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Arlington, Va.: Off-topic...

You just completed the Broadway run of "Glengarry Glen Ross," which, unfortunately, I could not make my way up to NYC to see.

I'm a big fan of actors who do both stage and screen ... what appeals to you about each medium, and do you have plans for any future stage roles?

Liev Schreiber: Yes, I will absolutely be doing more plays. I share your enthusiasm for both.

I love the immediacy of performing live. The reaction and the presence of the audience is an instant reward that can sometimes take up to a year with a film.

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Bethesda, Md.: Liev,

Was is at all intimidating playing Orson Welles in "RKO 281," especially in regards to "Citizen Kane"?

Liev Schreiber: Very intimidating. I've always been a huge fan, my family as well. Very, very large shoes to fill -- literally.

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Washington, D.C.: If we are continuing the gushing, I would like to speak up that you are truly one of my favorite actors! What made you decide on "A Walk on the Moon"? I would assume part of it was the fantastic cast and Tony Goldwyn....

Liev Schreiber: That's true, but like most of my choices, they had something to do with my grandfather. For me, "Walk on the Moon" was my grandfather's story. The character that I played reminded me very much of my grandfather Alex.

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Sonny Bono Memorial Park, Washington, D.C.: Was the author heavily involved with the film? Was he present on the set at all, giving notes?

Liev Schreiber: He did vist the last day of shooting and the last few days of shooting. I think he was just so tickled to see things he had imagined, to see them as actual, physical, tangible objects. But no, he didn't give any notes.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: I thought your performance in "The Manchurian Candidate" was outstanding. That movie really got under my skin.

It seems like you got to work with some fantastic talent in that movie. Is there one movie or piece of work that stands out in your minds as the most enjoyable or the one that you are the most proud of?

Thanks.

Liev Schreiber: I think "Walk on the Moon" is probably a favorite of mine. And I also feel very nostalgic about "The Daytrippers," Greg Mottola's film.

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Washington, D.C.: How did you prepare for your role as Orson Welles?

Liev Schreiber: Basically I collected all of the footage of Orson that I could find, including guest appearances on shows, home movies and every film he'd ever acted in. And then watched "Citizen Kane" about 15 times.

There were a couple of books that I found interesting, one was the one by Peter Bogdanovich, "Interviews with Orson Welles," as well as "Rosebud."

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Ohio: Are you going to film both stories as part of the movie -- the realistic search for the mysterious woman, and the magic realism story of the old European village? Who will play those parts?

Liev Schreiber: One of the decisions I had to make in order to make the film was to narrow down the narrative. So our film features primarily just the road trip between Jonathan, Alex, Grandfather and Sammy Davis, Jr. Jr. We had limited resources as this was an independent film. I also felt distilled into that journey are a lot of the wonderful, fantastical elements with the story of Trachimbrod.

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Washington, D.C.: Off topic but bears mentioning: Your narration for the HBO Sports documentaries are really excellent. How familiar are you with the stories you narrate before laying down your narration? Keep up the good work.

Liev Schreiber: One of the things I love about those documentaries is it's like going to school. You learn something new every time. They're really fun to work on.

Sometimes I see the script several weeks ahead, sometimes several hours.

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Chicago, Ill.: I was in NYC in June and made a point of seeing you in "Glengary Glen Ross" and really enjoyed your performance. I first noticed you in "A Walk on the Moon" and have admired the way you seem to stay out of US Weekly and the like. Do you want to do more Broadway in the future? More directing and writing? More blockbusters like "The Manchurian Candidate"? A little bit of everything?

Liev Schreiber: A little bit of everything, but right now I think a lot of sleep would be in order.

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Oakton, Va.: What is your strategy or plan on how to balance working on small/independant movies, to the big budget ones?

And are there certain types of movies you just don't see yourself doing?

Liev Schreiber: I don't really have a strategy as far as doing independent films vs. big budget. I take the work where I can get it. Obviously the better it pays, the easier it is to take theater roles and smaller films. So you have to walk the tightrope, walk the line a little bit. Rob Peter to pay Paul, as it were.

Before "Glengarry" I probably would have said porn, but after I grew the mustache, I thought it looked good.

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Arlington, Va.: Looking at your filmography, I notice that except for "Kate and Leopold," you haven't done that much comedic work recently. Has that been a conscious decision, or has the opportunity just not presented itself?

Liev Schreiber: Opportunity has not presented itself, and it's something I would really, really love to correct.

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Washington, D.C.: Hey, Liev. Big, big fan. Any plans for you to reprise the John Clark role from "The Sum of All Fears" in another film based on a Tom Clancy novel?

Liev Schreiber: Write a letter to your local Congressman and I'll do it.

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Mark, Cleveland Heights, Ohio: Speaking of "The Daytrippers," (which I truly loved), it was a wonderful example of ensemble acting in a film: how does "ensemble" work compare with roles where you are either an isolated character or, indeed, the one carrying the narrative?

Thanks.

Liev Schreiber: It's actually much more pleasurable. "Glengarry" was certainly a great example of ensemble acting, and I agree, so was "Daytrippers." It's nice to feel like you're all ganging up on the script, and it's also nice not to carry the whole responsibility for the film.

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Washington, D.C.: Saw you in "Glengarry" last weekend, and was convinced by my companion to wait by the stage door to get your autograph, which I normally don't do because it makes me feel pushy, stalker-like, intrusive, etc. But enough about me, how do you feel about "fan" behavior? Does it make you uncomfortable being approached by people you don't know? (Thanks for the autograph, by the way).

Liev Schreiber: Autograph-seeking fans are pushy, stalker-like, intrusive, etc.

Just kidding. You'd be stupid not to know where your bread's buttered.

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Newport News, Va: You've worked with quite a crowd of actors in the past, i.e. Denzel Washington, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Alda. What was it like working with them?

You're one of the greats yourself, by the way.

Liev Schreiber: Thank you. And you know, for me working with all of these people has been like going to school. It's a continuing education for my whole career. Each one brings their own sort of unique style and sensibility to it. I had a really smart director once, Carol Rice, who told me, "Steal don't borrow." And I try to at every opportunity.

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Annapolis, Md.: Hey Liev -- I'm not sure if you're doing this discussion from Washington, D.C. or not -- but when you visit our wonderful city, what places do you frequent? What's your favorite restaurant in the area? Mind meeting me for cocktails?? Thanks!

Liev Schreiber: I haven't been in years. But I remember going to a fantastic Ethiopian restaurant, 10 years ago, when I was working in Baltimore at CenterStage.

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NY: Hi Liev,

You were great in "The Manchurian Candidate." There was one scene, though, with the mother and son, that seemed a bit too close for comfort, when Streep's character ran her hands over her son's torso. Did that come out as it was intended?

Liev Schreiber: I think it made me feel uncomfortable about the nature of the relationship between Raymond Shaw and his mother. I'm not sure if that's what Jonathan Demme intended, but it made sense to me.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Liev, might I say ... you are a talented and handsome actor! But one question -- do you ever regret doing "Kate and Leopold"?

Liev Schreiber: No. Je ne rien regrete pas!

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Mt. Lebanon, Pa.: With all the talent, technology, and billions available to the American entertainment industry, how come most of the product is the same slick, special effect, noisy, self-promoting crapola? Ugh. I can't tell you how awful that stuff is.

And if you're not making that you folks are making the endless sequels of somebody else's fine work. Don't any of you high flyers want to make tasteful, significant, lasting and ORIGINAL works of art?

You know what movie I watched last night on TV? "Sunset Boulevard." Nope. Not the remake Glenn Close is reportedly working on. The ORIGINAL.

You know what DVD I last watched? "Dr. Strangelove."

Top that! When you do, I'll return to the theatre.

(The last time I went to the movies was to see "Angela's Ashes.")

Tip: No one's ripped off Faust recently. Maybe someone should make a boddice ripper out of it.

Thanks much. HLB

Liev Schreiber: Please go see "Everything Is Illuminated." I'd love to hear your opinion ... honestly.

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Washington, D.C.: I loved your work in "Spring Forward" -- which I think is one of the best movies no one has ever seen. I wish it had had a wider distribution.

Liev Schreiber: You're right. In fact, you're one of six people who saw that movie. I'm related to five of them.

I loved it, too. Thank you.

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Newport News, Va: Liev,

You're an excellent actor, each time I watch "The Manchurian Candidate" I am just as blown away by your performance.

Now I am really looking forward to "Everything Is Illuminated," especially since I went to Germany for my first time this summer.

I don't really know what to ask ... I just really appreciate your work as an actor and am looking forward to your work as a director.

Liev Schreiber: Thank you.

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Liev Schreiber: I wish I could sit here and chat with all of you for hours. Unfortunately, we are leaving for San Francisco in a few minutes to continue the press tour for "Everything Is Illuminated."

Thanks for your support, and I hope to see you at the movies.

Best always.

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