Liev Schreiber has shared details about a health scare that left him with temporary amnesia during a live performance of the Broadway production of "Doubt: A Parable."
The 56-year-old actor revealed the rare medical condition during an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," saying that it was the "worst nightmare that an actor could possibly ever experience," according to People.
"I was in my dressing room and I had a terrible headache," he said. "I thought it was maybe a fast food headache, but it felt a little stronger than that. I'm walking down the stairs, and I'm thinking, 'This is not normal. I don't feel OK.'"
Schreiber, who stars as a priest, Father Flynn, in the production said he knew "something was really wrong" when he saw his costar Amy Ryan backstage and couldn't remember her name. Things got progressively worse from that point on. Walking out onstage, Schreiber said he realized he had completely forgotten his lines.
"It all vanishes. The play is gone from my head ... I know I'm in a play but I don't know what play I'm in," Schreiber explained.
"My doctor, who's a friend, shows up and he had a terrified expression. My wife shows up, she looks terrified. I think, 'OK, I've had a stroke. This is it,'" he continued.
Schreiber recalled that after undergoing an MRI, results confirmed there was no brain hemorrhage and his brain appeared "perfectly fine." A neurologist diagnosed him with transient global amnesia.
"Apparently, it's brought on by migraines and rigorous coitus," he joked.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, transient global amnesia (TGA) is a rare condition that causes sudden memory loss and confusion. Triggers can include stress, physical exertion, or extreme temperatures. Typically affecting middle-aged or older individuals, TGA resolves within 24 hours without lasting effects.
"The guy said, 'You'll never have this again, and it'll be gone in 8 to 24 hours,' which I didn't believe," Schreiber told Meyers. "You know, as a typical sort of Jewish hypochondriac person, I'm convinced that I had a stroke, and they just didn't find it."
However, Schreiber never had another incident.
"I go to sleep, I wake up, I remember the whole play," he added. "I never had another problem with it. I was embarrassed and thought everyone would think I was lying and taking a night off from the theater."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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