Ray Donovan‘s Liev Schreiber on Pact He Made With Pro-Trump Co-Star Jon Voight to ‘Never Talk About Politics’
For seven seasons and one wrap-up movie, Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight played often-bitter familial adversaries on Showtime‘s Ray Donovan. But despite the actors’ stark political differences in real-life — Voight is an outspoken Republican and acolyte of Donald Trump and Schreiber is, well, decidedly neither of those things — real-life did not imitate art behind-the-scenes at Ray Donovan.
Although political tensions between Schreiber and Voight have occasionally spilled out onto social media (like in 2016 and 2020), “Jon and I made an agreement years ago to just never talk about politics,” Schreiber tells TVLine. “It’s just something that we don’t want in the workspace. We don’t want that. Our jobs are difficult enough as they are without all the other nonsense coming into it. So, for that brief time that we’re working together, we just don’t do it.
“I love Jon,” he adds. “I would do anything for him.”
The pair’s working relationship — at least via Ray Donovan — drew to a close on Friday with the airing of the series’ two-hour swan song. “This is the end for me. For now,” Schreiber maintained to TVLine of the pic, which — SPOILER ALERT — killed off Voight’s death-defying Mickey Donovan in the final moments. “But if somebody creates a new narrative and it makes sense, I don’t see why [it couldn’t continue down the road]. But there’s nothing in the works.”
Wow! What an incredibly mature attitude. How nice to hear that they don’t let politics get in the way of their working relationship and friendship.
If only more people had that mindset the world would be a much better place.
Politics poisons everything it touches.
I agree.
Wait a minute … you mean to tell me that people can be friends even when they disagree about politics? In Hollywood?!? Why, that’s outrageous!!
I mean, it makes sense that two white cis rich men wouldn’t be focused on “politics” because their privilege allows them that space. Not like John ever had to wait for a court to rule it was OK for him to be married.
Jon Voight wasn’t always right-wing-crazy. In 1978, he hosted an event at what was then the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden. It was focused on bringing Abbie Hoffman out of hiding. I was there. https://www.sohoblues.com/Style_70s_Galleries/Arts_Entertainment_Style/content/Abby_Hoffman_Benefit_Jon_Voight_1978_large.html
Right? There’s also the fact that Trump and his supporters actively tried to violently overthrow our democracy, and have helped foster and contribute to a flood of dangerous lies and misinformation that is having a frightening effect on our country. Kind of hard to have any respect for anyone who supports that That’s not a mere difference of political opinion, that’s one side living in a twisted ln a world of facts and reality and the other side living in some warped la la land/alternate universe of their own making.
The main reason I didn’t watch RD was because of Jon Voight. It’s not as much as his love of Trump but his entire right wing conspiracies. I can’t separate the two. And he was a lousy father to Angelina,
Now you’ve got Biden trying to fine corporations if they don’t demand their employees undergo a medical procedure. Where is the Democracy in that? Thank goodness the SCOTUS has common sense,
People like you, would cause a fight in a empty room.
why bring up their skin color? why bring up so called white privilege” bs
People like you is why America is divided right now!
What privilege do the far left militants have to burn and loot and make no go safe areas in WA. and OR. etc
I figured that someone would bring this up at some point. Can’t have a conversation with being rave into it.
Wow…just wow!
Yep. I suppose if I was an actor getting a decent paycheck, maybe the money would be enough to push my morals aside…. but it’s been increasingly difficult to stand anyone that can support – vocally or quietly – those that led to things like the insurrection. And as a gay man, it’s also these powers that have kept the Equality Act from passing and so if you’re supporting them, you’re NOT supporting me. As someone that’s not rich, I also can see clearly how trickle down does NOT work and how the economy does better with Democrats, so there are many other reasons, not just the gay thing, that I lean the way I do. But the money stuff, I could probably “just get along” with …. the support for those that continue to put people down, or in cages, or restrict their voting rights? Hell, no, I can’t get along with those people because they have not attempted to get along with me. If they did want to get along with us, they’d give us our full equality and stop attacking us with anti-LGBTQ, anti-black, anti-protest etc bills on the state level.
you do know, the majority of trump voters WERE NOT FAR RIGHT LOONIES, they were NOT aniti black/gays etc…they were the middle ground, a mix of indo voters and democrat voters who switched!
That is what is wrong with USA today, demonizing all trump voters as far right loonies……
and the current admin. and current far left policies will and divide bs politics just make another trump win more likely to happen again more and more likely
you do know that Joe Biden doesn’t, never has, had far left politics. never. he’s been around a long time & his politics are well known, why don’t you know them?
Zac may not be from America and appears to complain as generally as he accuses others of doing.
As it’s already been pointed out Biden, is in fact, NOT a lefty. To claim so means you know nothing of his policies. Also to claim that the majority of Trump voters were independents and Dems that switched means you know absolutely NOTHING about politics.
I mean, he lost. But he got 74 million votes and almost 47% of those who did vote. I would hope they’re not all far right looneys as you’d characterize them. About 25-30% of people identify as Republicans, so majority may be too strong, but it wasn’t just the base that voted for him. If anything there might be even more moderates who voted for him because of the amount of right wing base he alienated and didn’t vote for him. Those are just the numbers; don’t have to know too much about politics to find them.
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And the fact that Biden is characterized as not a lefty just shows how there’s a segment on the far left that’s so far to the margin they match the far right. I don’t know that Trump can get the support for another run, but as Tom says, the tanking economy and the poll numbers look like the Republicans have a chance to take it back from him if things don’t change; and if they don’t nominate a complete loon. Which with the current track record, is hardly a guarantee.
We are dealing with the worst inflation in 40 years, with the FED going to raise rates, and the very likely prospect of a recession next year as consequence.
Yet JD believes the economy is doing better?
This just proves how so many on the left are stuck in a misinformation bubble. Try CNBC instead of MSNBC for a change maybe.
How’d that looming recession work out for you?
You lost me when you started whining about “two white cis rich men.” Prejudiced much?
I agree to an extent. Only Liev didn’t say he didn’t care about politics just that he and Voigt didn’t bring it into the workplace or their relationship. I have a number of trump voting friends and relatives. I care a LOT about politics but I avoid talking with them and vice versa. No one is convincing anyone to change their minds at this point. So I go about my business, voting and advocating for issues but in a different sphere. Liev is likely the same as are millions.
One day Racists like Nadia here will be shamed for posts like this. It will be an unpleasant part of their history they will have to hide.
For it is inevitable that we will return to treating people based on the content of their character not the color of their skin.
Come up with something that works. Ray Donovan was a terrific show. Great acting, great story. Don’t take to long
How wonderfully refreshing.
It doesn’t have anything to do about how much money you make it’s all to do with the respect for each other and that’s the way it should be in America I’m not going to lose friends over their politics or mine we get along fine we love each other and we don’t let that stand in the way we need to live our country respect our flag are for me that’s what we need to do and pray is what God tells us to do for those who are over us and in charge my hope for a country is to be United 🇺🇸
Jon Voight is actually a very decent man. He and Liev Schreiber just have polar opposite core beliefs. No need to demonize people over that. The Happy Days cast is a perfect example that you can still remain friends without believing the exact same things. The people in this comment section should take their cues from these two gentlemen and stop looking at their loved ones as if they are evil. Just because you support Trump doesn’t mean that you are a racist, a homophobe or sexist. Trump has millions of supporters from the black community, the Hispanic community, the gay community and women. We’re your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. Stop trying to divide us.
Great response.
I have watched this series 2 or 3 times. The very best episodes IMO were 12 in season 4 and 12 in season 6.
Just great. The movie was somewhat disappointing. It is my hope that Ray will survive and be back as this is one the very few series that is worth watching. Liev Schreiber is always just excellent.
I will miss the show! I think fixer Ray Donovan would have lot of more stories to tell.. Fixers are extremely busy people!
I would love to see how these fixers operate!