Liev Schreiber has apologized after facing criticism for snapping at a reporter during the New York City premiere of his upcoming series, “Nocturne.” The actor acknowledged that his reaction was unnecessary and revealed that his mother had also confronted him about the incident. He later reflected on what went wrong during the tense exchange.
Liev Schreiber’s mother questions his behavior toward a reporter
Schreiber addressed the controversy during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. He admitted that he had overreacted to the reporter’s question and revealed that his mother called him after seeing the incident make headlines.
“My mother called me this morning, and my mother follows my career via the internet, unfortunately,” Schreiber explained. He then recalled her blunt response to the controversy. “So what did you do?” she asked him.
The actor acknowledged that his mother had reason to question his behavior. “But the truth is, yeah, mea culpa, I had a moment,” he admitted. He also apologized for his profanity-filled outburst during the exchange.
Schreiber explained that the reporter had asked him to describe “Nocturne” in three words. However, he struggled to respond quickly while keeping his answer brief. “I’m at that age now where I don’t do things terribly quickly,” he joked.
During the original encounter, Schreiber criticized the format of quick red carpet interviews. He argued that conversations should feel more personal than brief social media sound bites. “Talk to people like they’re humans, not like it’s social media,” he told the reporter.
He also expressed frustration over the expectation to provide a short promotional response. “It’s not a f——– sound bite, especially when we’re doing it in-house for our own people,” he said. The tense exchange subsequently circulated online and drew criticism.
Despite the awkward interaction, the reporter remained composed and even joked to the camera operator, “I hope you’re rolling on this.” Her response made Schreiber laugh and helped ease the tension.
The conversation eventually took a more positive turn when the reporter asked another question. “That’s a real question,” Schreiber said before adding, “Let’s talk about it.”
The incident occurred as Schreiber promoted “Nocturne,” his upcoming Apple TV crime drama, which premieres on October 30. Schreiber’s public apology acknowledged his inappropriate response to the reporter. He also admitted that the conversation had improved after the initial confrontation, suggesting that the exchange ended on better terms.
