Go east, ‘Ray Donovan’
Liev Schreiber’s New York state of mind.
Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” switches coasts for Season 6 (Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT/PDT) as the iconic Hollywood fixer moves east to New York, close to his native Boston.
Ray, a recently widowed father who makes his living cleaning up rich and famous people’s messes, was last seen in despair, taking a 10-story header into the East River as he followed an apparition of his deceased wife, Abby. Hardly a spoiler: He survives and ends up splitting his time between Manhattan, where he reunites with media mogul Sam Winslow (Susan Sarandon), and Staten Island, where he bonds with cop Sean “Mac” McGrath (Domenick Lombardozzi).
New Yorker Liev Schreiber, 51, who plays Ray, speaks to USA TODAY about the show’s transcontinental drift; former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen comparing himself to the famed TV fixer; and, in an exclusive, how he feels about hosting “Saturday Night Live” for the first time in November.
Question: After rooting itself in Los Angeles, why did “Ray Donovan” move to New York?
Liev Schreiber: We all felt that after five years, we needed a reboot, we needed some new energy. There was some talk of Boston, of New York. … We decided to follow (last year’s) storyline of Abby’s cancer diagnosis, (which took the characters) to New York. It felt like an environment that would be exciting, dynamic and potentially rich for Ray and his family. And then it worked out great for me, because I live here and my kids are here. (He has two sons, ages 11 and 9, with former partner Naomi Watts.)
Q: Is an urban Northeast environment a better fit for Ray?
Schreiber: He is certainly an East Coast guy, which is part of why he’s such a fish out of water in L.A. I think what he’s looking for is a place to hide. There’s something to the fact that Ray fits there and can blend in, where he sticks out like a sore thumb in L.A.
Q: How did it feel for Ray to be in New York?
Schreiber: The city felt very dark and very cold. Jumping off a building into the East River will do that to you. (Laughs.)
Q: How does Ray end up wearing a New York Yankees cap, a no-no for a Bostonian?
Schreiber: We wanted to have a baseball cap so Ray could disguise himself when he went into the city. He wanted to cover himself up. The only one on the production truck was a Yankees cap. Everybody said, “No way on God’s earth anyone from Southie is putting on a Yankees cap.” But somebody suggested that shows how (messed) up he is. I’m sure there’s going to be some hell to pay. ... We wrote in the scene where he’s sitting at a bus stop and realizes where he is. He scratches his head and throws the cap in the garbage. ... Dash (Mihok, who plays Ray’s brother, Bunchy) is a diehard Yankee fan, hardcore New York. He won’t put on any Boston stuff.
Q: New York or L.A.?
Schreiber: As I grew up in New York, I always hated the idea of the West Coast. For the first three seasons of the show, I was kind of uncomfortable in L.A. … By the fifth season and knowing we were heading back to New York, I wanted to stay in L.A. I got used to the lifestyle, so spread out and quiet. And the ocean. I’m a big fan of spending time in Santa Monica and Malibu surfing. It was a great routine that helped me shake off the tension.
Q: How does a suicide attempt fit into Ray’s psyche?
Schreiber: It never would have oc- curred to me that Ray would do something like that. … I think grief spoke to everything. For me, the logic ultimately was that he loves Abby as much as life itself, that there’s a disconnect that could happen in a moment where he could make a mistake.
Q: You grew a beard. Did you wear padding to help achieve Ray’s hirsute, heavyset look?
Schreiber: I tried to gain weight, but I was fairly stressed out and exhausted, so they put a fat suit on me for the first three months. But then I caught up with the fat suit. By the time I took the fat suit off and I was supposed to be in shape, I had developed the fat. (Laughs) … I’m generally boxing and training while I’m shooting, but this season was so hard and the schedule so demanding that it got away from me.
Q: What do you think of Ray becoming a cultural icon, with convicted former Trump lawyer and fixer Cohen hash-tagging Ray in a tweet?
Schreiber: That was probably an illadvised admission on his part, but I loved it. It made me feel like our show has had some impact, that it’s a piece of pop culture. … The news itself was a little frustrating, but the show being mentioned was nice. (Schreiber supported Bernie Sanders in 2016’s Democratic primary campaign.)
Q: Any other projects coming up?
Schreiber: I’m hosting “Saturday Night Live” in November. I’ve dreamed about doing something like that but didn’t ever think I would. (At the same time), I’m terrified. … I’m generally not considered a very funny person.
Q: Do you think “SNL” will do a “Ray Donovan” sketch?
Schreiber: I’m sure they’ll figure something out. I mean, come on. It’s not like I have the biggest repertoire in the business.