Actor Liev Schreiber has detailed a sudden episode of temporary memory loss he suffered during a recent Broadway performance, which he referred to as “the worst nightmare that an actor could possibly ever experience.”
The “Ray Donovan” star, who has been performing in the Broadway revival of “Doubt: A Parable” since February, humorously recounted the harrowing debacle during a recent appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
After spotting Amy Ryan—his co-star in the play—backstage, the 56-year-old said he struggled to recollect simple phrases like “good show” or the acting idiom “break a leg.”
“I suddenly noticed that I didn’t remember what I was supposed to say to her, and I'd said it at least 30 times by that point, so something was wrong,” he shared. “I also couldn’t remember her name, so I knew something was really wrong.”
Nevertheless, Mr. Schreiber took the stage to deliver his riveting performance as “Father Flynn” in the Broadway production. However, the award-winning actor found himself unable to recite his lines.
“I do about the first six or seven lines ... of the play, sort of automatically, and I realize I’m not connected, so I decide, let me try to get connected again. And the minute I do that, it all vanishes. The play is gone from my head,” he said.
“I’m looking out into a dark audience—I know I’m in a play, but I don’t know what play I’m in. I look down at my clothes, and I realize I’m a priest, which is helpful, but not giving me any lines,” he told Mr. Meyers as the talk show audience broke out in laughter.
Mr. Schreiber promptly left the stage and was later seen by his friend, a doctor. The “Golda” actor, who believed, at the time, that he had experienced a stroke, underwent an MRI examination, which revealed his brain was “perfectly fine.”
A neurologist ultimately informed Mr. Schreiber that he had suffered transient global amnesia, brought on by the actor’s severe headache, noting that it would clear up in about 8 to 24 hours. Although the actor was still convinced that he had experienced a stroke, he told Mr. Meyers that his memory did come back the following morning.
Transient Global Amnesia
According to Cedars Sinai, transient global amnesia, or TGA, brings about a temporary lapse in short-term memory—the onset of which occurs quite suddenly.TGA most commonly develops in people over the age of 50. Although people experiencing TGA maintain “normal thinking abilities,” their brains cannot form new memories, so they are typically unable to remember anything that transpired during the brief episode.
Sudden memory loss is the primary indicator of TGA; however, other symptoms include constantly asking questions about current events and feelings of anxiety or agitation.
The exact trigger for TGA episodes remains unknown, but researchers have suggested a correlation between the condition and those who regularly experience migraines. Other risk factors may include strenuous physical activities, severe emotional stress, and mild head traumas.
No specific treatment plan is required for people diagnosed with TGA. Episodes clear up on their own, sometimes as soon as one hour after onset, and usually last no longer than 24 hours.
‘Doubt: A Parable’
The Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway play “Doubt: A Parable” opened in March, with preview performances beginning in February.The production, a revival of playwright John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play of the same name, runs through April at the Todd Haimes Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. It centers on Catholic school principal Sister Aloysius, played by Ms. Ryan, who begins to question the conduct of Mr. Schreiber’s character, priest Father Flynn, whom she believes is partaking in acts of sexual misconduct with a student.
In addition to his many roles on the big screen, Mr. Schreiber has been a stalwart on Broadway for more than three decades after making his Broadway debut in the Lincoln Center Theater production of “In the Summer House” in the early ‘90s.
The veteran stage actor went on to appear in over a dozen other acts, including “Betrayal” (2000), “Glengarry Glen Ross” (2005), for which he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, “Talk Radio” (2007), “A View from the Bridge” (2010), and “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” (2016), per Playbill.
