Actor Steven Bauer Talks 'Ray Donovan' Season 3 DVD, Working With Liev Schreiber! INTERVIEW

Showtime, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution are bringing the critically acclaimed Ray Donovan: Season 3 to Blu-ray and DVD. In an exclusive interview with MStars News, actor Steven Bauer talks about working with Liev Schreiber, playing Ray's right-hand man Avi, and his favorite moments from the third season.

As we previously mentioned, Ray Donovan (Schreiber) happens to be a go-to fixer for Hollywood's elite. With a lucrative business ahead of him, his past as a ruthless South Boston thug comes back to haunt him. Ray's father, Mickey (Jon Voight), has come back to settle old scores, which could spell trouble for him and his innocent family. Lucky for Ray, he has the "muscle" of his operation, Avi, who is fiercely loyal to him.

During this third season, Malcolm Finney (Ian McShane), a prominent movie producer in the industry, needs to hire the fixer to get his family out of a potentially catastrophic situation. Along the way, Ray ends up going head-to-head with his daughter, Paige Finney (Katie Holmes). As problems begin to mount, one after the other for Ray, he desperately and reluctantly needs help from someone he severed ties with.

Before the third season arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray December 29, the Breaking Bad and Scarface actor discuses the fallout between Avi and Ray after the second season finale, the Showtime drama earning a nomination from the Golden Globes, and what fans should expect from the upcoming fourth season.

MStars News: After playing Avi for the past three seasons, tell me what still interests you in the character?

Steven Bauer: Yeah, what I love about this character is that he is fiercely loyal and also very disciplined. And it's something that appeals to me. I'm attracted to people who are even more disciplined than myself, because I consider myself pretty disciplined in my approach to work. But when I get the opportunity to play a character that is very disciplined, I get to take that on and also those qualities; that quality of somebody who is so committed, uncompromising, and strong, you know mentally strong.

I know these guys. I know men like Avi when I was younger. When I was in Israel, I met people, I met commandos and Mossad agents because I played one in a movie called Sword of Gideon, which is a true story.

And so, I was trained by them. So I got to really know that mindset. That's a long time ago. It was like 20 years ago, more than 20 years ago, it was 1987. So I was able to apply that knowledge, that familiarity with that kind of individual that is very strong, mentally, and physically, and also fiercely loyal.

MStars: What I love about the show is the intensity Avi and Ray bring to the table. Tell me about working with Liev Schreiber.

SB: That's what I enjoy about it! The other thing that I can tell you is that because Liev, as Ray Donavon, he is so closed-up, private, and so unemotional. It's very good for me! He and I have a very nice rapport, where we are two men, who have to do our job. We have to be very mentally tough and sometimes, I'm even tougher than him. He's like the toughest man on TV, don't you think?

MS: Oh my God! He's super tough!

SB: He is! He is pretty strong! He's so so good! I'm so happy for him because he got nominated for a Golden Globe!

MS: With the show nominated for a Golden Globe, does that recognition serve as a challenge for you? Or does it push yourself as an actor?

SB: You know what, for me, in this role, the most important thing is the recognition of this show. The acting, the writers, the directing, I'm just so proud to be a part of this one! Because Showtime really took a chance with this character of Ray Donavan and this storyline. And so for it to succeed is everything, to me is everything! I already knew that people liked it, that the audience liked it, but for it to succeed with critics is also important. So you know for me, it's like yes it's wonderful to be recognized, but I'm really just one little part of the whole machine. And I just am happy I can do my part well!

MS: With the third season coming out on DVD and Blu-ray on December 29, do you have a scene that you want fans to pay particular attention to?

SB: Well, I'll tell you what, the only thing that has been challenging for me is just my own personal desire to work as much as possible; to be involved in it as much as possible. This season because of what happened in Season 2, where I had to basically kill the girl, the reporter that was going to expose him and basically send him to prison. I'm so loyal that I did this thing that was important to me, but I did it because he's my friend, he's my boss, and so he hates me.

MS: There was a different dynamic between Avi and Ray this third season.

SB: So he hates me, for it at the beginning of Season 3! He hates me! He's so angry and so uncontrollably that he cannot understand that I would do that, even if it was to save him. So he banishes me from his life basically.

So when you see the season start, I'm there and then I'm not there anymore for three episodes. And for me, it was challenging because I had to control myself. I had to have faith and believe in the writers that they had an idea in their head. They had an idea that I would eventually be recalled back into his life and that the audience would miss me. And then they would be very very excited to have me back! So it would help everything, it helps the whole storyline, and the audience, and the ratings, and everything because Avi is back.

And so, it was challenging for me because when everyone else is working, you're just sitting waiting for the next episode, it's very challenging.

MS: And then, when your character did come back into the forefront.

SB: When I do come back, the episodes that I'm back - episode 6,7,8,9,10,11 - those episodes are really, really good for me! My part is very small, I have a few scenes in those episodes, but when I come back, those scenes are very important to the storylines. I've had a very good response when it was airing. I got a very good response from the audience. They're like Avi really came through! Avi came through really strong! What I would say is if you miss me in the beginning, I'm coming back strong in the episodes. Like the last five I'm in, and the ending is really good!

MS: The confessional scene is so heartbreaking and emotional.

SB: Yeah, the last one with the confessional, and the shootout with the Armenian guys. I basically save his life because I shoot the guy that's going to kill him. But yeah, it's very good and it leaves it at a very crazy, interesting place! Because you don't know where Ray is going! Now what's he going to do? It's really great! I'm so proud of all the writers! I can't wait to start again!

MS: What is it about Season 4 that you're excited? Returning to the set or reading the scripts?

SB: What I'm excited is just to see where we begin. Because it's a total surprise to us as actors! We have no idea! All we know is that we're on! We have been asked to come back and do another season.

So for us, we don't know. We cannot foretell where the writers are going to take the story. Will it affect all of us? Which way are we going? The brothers and the girl, they get married. Are they going to be happy? Are they going to leave town? Are they going to stay there?

Ray's brother Bunchy (Dash Bunji) and the Mexican girl, Maria ((Alyssa Diaz), are they going to make-up? He's in the hospital at the end and they're praying for him to survive. You know it's very scary.

I mean the only thing for me, it's very happy. Because at least they didn't kill me or fire me, I'm there! I'm right there, so I know at some point, at the very beginning, it's going to feature me trying to help him. Because he is obviously in a dark place, you know and I'm the closest to him, the one that understands him even more than his wife. Because I'm a guy like he is. He's a tough guy. He's very hard to understand. I think that the writers can go with that if they want to go in that direction. It's going to be really really good this season for me! I'll have much more to do and I'll have a little more time in every episode! That's what I'm looking forward to!

The third season of Ray Donovan will be available on Blu-ray and DVD December 29th. You can pre-order your copy here:

© 2024 Mstars News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.