Throughout his three-decade career, Liev Schreiber has portrayed intense and complex characters across film and television. With a deep, resonant voice and commanding presence, Schreiber brings authenticity to his every performance. Although born in San Francisco, California, Liev Schreiber has earned a reputation for playing German and Russian characters.
To many movie and television fans, Liev Schreiber is remembered for portraying Victor Creed/Sabretooth in the 2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He also recently starred alongside Nicole Kidman in the Netflix mystery drama miniseries The Perfect Couple (2024). In addition, Schreiber’s ability to embody real-life figures has added depth to his historical and biographical projects. Here’s a look at Liev Schreiber’s top portrayal of real-life figures in film and television.
1. Orson Welles in RKO 281
The first time Liev Schreiber portrayed a real-life figure was in 1999 in one of his career’s earliest roles. Schreiber was cast as Hollywood’s legendary filmmaker Orson Welles in the historical drama TV movie RKO 281. The film follows Welles’ struggle to make the movie Citizen Kane despite opposition from powerful figures like media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Schreiber, who was 32 at the time, captured Welles’ charisma, ambition, and defiance. RKO 281 also starred John Malkovich, James Cromwell, Roy Scheider, Liam Cunningham, Melanie Griffith, and David Suchet.
2. Ernst Hanfstaengl in Hitler: The Rise of Evil
In the 2003 Canadian two-part miniseries Hitler: The Rise of Evil, Liev Schreiber portrayed German American businessman Ernst Hanfstaengl. His character is historically known as an early supporter and close friend of Adolf Hitler, who helped him rise in political circles. Hanfstaengl, a businessman with connections to high society, provides financial and strategic support to Hitler during his early years in the Nazi Party.
However, as Hitler’s power grows and his extremism becomes more evident, Ernst Hanfstaengl becomes disillusioned. He ultimately distances himself from Hitler’s regime. Ernst Hanfstaengl’s character and Schreiber’s performance showed audiences how influential figures initially enabled Hitler, only to regret their involvement later. Hitler: The Rise of Evil also starred notable actors such as Jena Malone, Matthew Modine, Peter Stormare, and Peter O’Toole.
3. Zus Bielski in Defiance
Five years later, Liev Schreiber portrayed a character on the other side of World War II in Defiance (2008). Schreiber portrayed Zus Bielski, one of four brothers who fought against the Nazis during the war. Zus was the more aggressive and battle-hardened of the brothers, often clashing with his older brother Tuvia Bielski (portrayed by Daniel Craig) over leadership decisions. Jamie Bell and George MacKay portrayed Zus’s two younger brothers, Asael and Aron, respectively. Defiance centered around Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union and the Bielski brothers forming a partisan group comprising Jewish survivors. While Tuvia focused on protecting the Jewish refugees, Zus joined Soviet partisans to fight the Germans more directly.
4. Lyndon B. Johnson in The Butler
In Lee Daniels’ 2013 historical drama, Liev Schreiber joined the star-studded cast, portraying Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States. As John F. Kennedy’s vice, Johnson becomes president after Kennedy is assassinated. Although he had a short screen time, Schreiber did justice to his portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Forest Whitaker led the all-star cast portraying Cecil Gaines, a butler who served in the White House for 34 years.
5. Boris Spassky in Pawn Sacrifice
In the 2014 biographical psychological drama Pawn Sacrifice, Liev Schreiber starred alongside Tobey Maguire. The film focuses on Bobby Fischer’s (Maguire) rise to fame, and his intense 1972 World Chess Championship match against Soviet champion Boris Spassky during the Cold War. Schreiber’s portrayal of Boris Spassky received special praise despite not being the film’s main character. Also, Schreiber spoke Russian, which native speakers applauded as one of Hollywood’s best attempts at having a foreign actor use the language. Peter Sarsgaard and Lily Rabe also joined the cast, portraying William Lombardy and Joan Fischer.
6. Martin Baron in Spotlight
Liev Schreiber portrayed American journalist Martin Baron in Tom McCarthy’s 2015 biographical drama Spotlight. Joining the star-studded ensemble cast, Schreiber’s Baron was the execution editor of The Boston Globe and played a crucial role in initiating the newspaper’s investigation into the Catholic Church’s cover-up of child abuse by priests. Martin Baron’s leadership helped uncover one of the biggest scandals in modern journalism. Spotlight also starred Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Stanley Tucci, John Slattery, Billy Crudup, and Brian d’Arcy James.
7. Victor Lustig in Drunk History
Although only a guest role, Liev Schreiber portrayed Austria-Hungarian con artist Victor Lustig in Drunk History. He appeared in the Comedy Central educational comedy series in season 4, episode 7 (“Landmarks”), which aired originally on November 15, 2016. Lustig was a famous con artist known for pulling off elaborate scams. One such infamous scam was selling the Eiffel Tower twice. Victor Lustig died in prison while serving his 20-year jail term.
8. Chuck Wepner in Chuck
In Chuck (2016), Liev Schreiber portrayed Chuck Wepner, a real-life heavyweight boxer. Wepner inspired the Rocky Balboa character in the Rocky film series. Chuck Wepner gained international fame for going 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali in the 1975 championship fight. Despite losing the fight, he became famous for going all the way with Ali. The 2016 Chuck focuses on Wepner’s life, boxing career, personal struggles, and the impact of his brief fame.
9. Otto Frank in A Small Light
The National Geographic 8-episode biographical war drama miniseries A Small Light (2023) focuses on Miep Gies (Bel Powley), who helped hide the Frank family during World War II. Liev Schreiber portrayed Anne Frank’s (played by Billie Boullet) father, Otto Frank. In the miniseries, Otto Frank is portrayed as a loving, supportive father who’s deeply concerned about his family’s safety during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. A Small Light was critically acclaimed, with the miniseries holding a 100% aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes.
10. Henry Kissinger in Golda
Cast in a supporting role, Liev Schreiber portrayed Henry Kissinger, the former U.S. Secretary of State. Kissinger plays a significant role in the film’s plot as he advised Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir (Helen Mirren) during the Yom Kippur War. Schreiber’s portrayal illuminated the United States’ position during the war. As of 2025, Golda is Schreiber’s last performance portraying a real-life person. Not a stranger to the role, audiences can expect more portrayals from the actor in the near future. If you enjoyed reading about Liev Schreiber’s portrayal of real-life figures, check out these real-life figures portrayed by Gary Oldman.
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