Liev Schreiber recalls health scare while performing on stage in Broadway show: 'Worst nightmare'
Liev Schreiber has revealed he endured "the worst nightmare that an actor could possibly ever experience" while performing on stage.
During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he opened up about the rare medical condition he experienced during the Broadway production of Doubt: A Parable.
"I was in my dressing room, and I had a terrible headache. I thought it was maybe a fast food headache, but it felt a little stronger than that," the actor recalled.
Watch the video above.
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"I'm walking down the stairs, and I'm thinking, 'This is not normal. I don't feel OK.'"
Schreiber only understood the gravity of the situation when he saw his co-star Amy Ryan backstage and couldn't remember her name. He then knew "something was really wrong."
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Trying to put his best foot forward, the Salt star went on-stage, where he says he completely blanked on 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," he said.
"I'm walking down the stairs, and I'm thinking, 'This is not normal. I don't feel OK.'" NBC
"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.'"
The Ray Donovan alum had a clear MRI, showing no brain bleed, which the actor said looked "perfectly fine."
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A neurologist revealed that Schreiber had experienced a rare condition called transient global amnesia, which explained his lack of memory.
"Apparently, it's brought on by migraines and rigorous coitus," the actor joked.
"The guy said, 'You'll never have this again, and it'll be gone in 8 to 24 hours,' which I didn't believe," he explained.
"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."
Schreiber attending the Doubt: A Parable celebration. Getty
Schreiber made a full recovery within a matter of hours and has maintained his memory.
"I go to sleep, I wake up, I remember the whole play," he said.
"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 theatre."
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