Liev Schreiber is opening up about suffering an actor’s “worst nightmare” during a performance on Broadway.

The 56-year-old actor, while starring in Broadway’s “Doubt: A Parable” since February, encountered a frightening experience before one show: acute amnesia.

Schreiber recounted the incident on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” explaining that he had a “terrible headache” before the performance and sensed that “something was really wrong” when he couldn’t recall the name of his co-star Amy Ryan backstage.

He also couldn’t recall common actor colloquialisms such as “break a leg” even though he “said it at least 30 times by that point.”

The “Golda” actor said he mentioned something was wrong to the stage manager, but they quickly called places.

“I go on, and I do about the first six or seven lines of the play, sort of automatically. I realize I’m not connected, so I decide, let me try and get connected again. And the minute I do that, it all vanishes. The play is gone from my head,” he recalled. “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.”

Schreiber’s understudy had to take over midway and his friend who is also a doctor rushed to his dressing room with a “terrified expression.”

The actor said he was convinced he had a stroke, but MRI results were “perfectly fine.”

“I find out ultimately from a neurologist I had something called transient global amnesia,” Schreiber said.

What is transient global amnesia?

Transient global amnesia is described as a “temporary, anterograde amnesia with an acute onset that usually occurs in middle-aged and older individuals.” It is often triggered by strenuous activity, high-stress events, or even coitus, and can also be associated with migraines. According to a StatPearls dictionary in the National Library of Medicine, the condition typically resolves within 24 hours.

However, despite this medical explanation, the “Ray Donovan” actor humorously quipped that, being a “typical sort of Jewish hypochondriac person,” he was “convinced that I had a stroke, and they just didn’t find it.”

Schreiber slept it off and by morning his lines were back. “I go to sleep, I wake up, I remember the whole play. I call the theater and I say, ‘I’m coming up to do the matinee. And they’re like, ‘No, no, no. Your doctor said you have to stay away until Tuesday.’ And I was like, ‘No, I need to know that I can do the 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 theater,” the actor said.

He also joked that he was bummed out he got “transient global amnesia” from a migraine instead of rigorous sexual activity.

Liev Schreiber suffered actor’s ‘worst nightmare’ when his migraine caused amnesia during live show

Schreiber is starring in the Broadway play ‘Doubt: A Parable’ until April 21

Liev Schreiber is opening up about a terrifying experience he had while acting in a play.

During a recent appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Schreiber recounted the neurological disorder he experienced before going on stage to perform in the Broadway production of “Doubt: A Parable.”

Describing it as “the worst nightmare that an actor could possibly ever experience,” he detailed how he felt a severe headache in his dressing room, initially attributing it to a possible fast-food-induced headache. However, as he descended the stairs, he sensed that something was seriously wrong, far beyond the usual discomfort.

Schreiber became increasingly alarmed when he encountered his co-star, Amy Ryan, backstage but found himself unable to recall her name. Additionally, he struggled to remember common phrases exchanged among actors, such as “break a leg,” despite having used them numerous times before. This disorientation heightened his sense of unease and signaled to him that the situation was far from normal.

Schreiber experienced amnesia during one of his performances in “Doubt: A Parable.” ( Bruce Glikas/WireImage)

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Schreiber recalled telling the stage manager something wasn’t right with him, but the manager quickly called places and the play began.

“So, I go on, and I do about the first six or seven lines of the play, sort of automatically. I realize I’m not connected, so I decide, let me try and get connected again. And the minute I do that, it all vanishes. The play is gone from my head,” he explained. “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.”

After getting off stage and rushing to his dressing room, he recalled seeing his friend who is a doctor and his wife looking at him with “a terrified expression,” leading him to think, “OK, I’ve had a stroke. This is it.”

“I go get the MRI, no brain bleed. Perfectly fine,” he explained. “I find out ultimately from a neurologist I had something called transient global amnesia, and, apparently, my wife looked it up online. It’s brought on by migraines and rigorous coitus.”

Schreiber found out he had transient global amnesia. (Bruce Glikas/WireImage)

According to Cedars-Sinai, transient global amnesia (TGA) is characterized by a sudden loss of short-term memory, typically lasting no longer than 24 hours. While there isn’t one specific cause of TGA, it has been associated with various factors including migraines, sexual intercourse, sudden exposure to hot or cold water, emotional stress, and mild head trauma.

Despite being reassured by doctors that his symptoms would resolve within 8 to 24 hours, the “Ray Donovan” actor humorously expressed disbelief, joking that as a typical Jewish hypochondriac, he was convinced he had suffered a stroke that had gone undetected.

He recounted how he went to sleep, woke up, and remembered the entire play, prompting him to call the theater and express his intention to perform in the matinee. However, he was advised by his doctor to refrain from returning until Tuesday. Schreiber shared his embarrassment, fearing that others would think he was lying or taking a night off from the theater.

Reflecting on his experience, Schreiber joked with Seth Meyers that of all the ways to experience TGA, he “had to get it from a migraine,” humorously lamenting that it was a disappointment compared to other potential triggers like sexual intercourse.

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Fans can see Schreiber in “Doubt: A Parable” until April 21. (Bruce Glikas/WireImage)

“Doubt: A Parable” opened on Broadway in March with a closing date of April 21.