Liev Schreiber was inspired to become an actor by his passion for clowns and the circus as a child

In an interview with Italian publication IO Donna, he said: "As a child, I was fascinated by clowns and enjoyed entertaining my family . My mother was a bit of a hippie; she placed more importance on art than money: she was a taxi driver, and as soon as she had some, she'd spend it on taking us to the movies or the theatre."

Liev insists his grandfather Alex - who emigrated to America from Ukraine and played the cello - was more of an influence and inspiration for him to go into acting than his dad, Tell Schreiber, who was an actor and theatre director.

When asked what influence Tell had on him, Liev said: "Perhaps I was more inspired by the circus, where my grandfather took me.

"At the exit, they sold little swords for children, and I remember playing with them in front of Madison Square Garden, thinking about The Legend of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn. My parents separated when I was four, and I grew up mostly with my mother, who was a bit of a hippie socialist who even lived in squats; artistic education was more important than anything else. We went to a movie theatre on Eighth Street where they showed old black-and-white films, but I think I appreciated them more as I grew older."

Liev - who has vivid memories of watching films starring Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers with his mother - is dad to 23-month-old daughter Hazel, his child with wife Taylor Neisen.

The Ray Donovan star is enjoying being a father in his 50s and says children give you a solid grounding when you work in Hollywood.

Liev - who has two teenage children from his relationship with British actress Naomi Watts - said: "I could have had a more relaxed life, but with a small child, you have to provide stability, respect sleep and meal times.

"Children keep you grounded. When I had my first two, who are now 17 and 18, it was a strange time: my ex and I were the centre of attention, and success can make you lose your sense of reality. Children bring you back to what's truly important."