Liev Schrieber has tried to “stay away” from alcohol.

Speaking to W magazine about preparing for the Showtime programme, he said: “I’m relying a little bit more on meditation and trying to stay away from vodka. But vodka always works too.”

And the hard man – who was cast as Sabretooth in the Marvel Comic film adaptation ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ – has revealed he had similar traits to characters he has played, and was quite mischievous when he was 12 years old.

Speaking to Esquire online, Liev’s mother Heather said: "He was very imaginative.

“He climbed the drainpipe on the side of the building to get to where they kept the money, and he would take large sums. We were the only white people on the block. He wanted the kids to like him, so he would use the money to buy them all roller skates, and he took a bunch of kids from the neighbourhood to Chinatown and bought them dinner."

However, the dark haired heartthrob regrets his previous actions.

He explained: “It hurt my mother when I got caught. She had to pay the money back. She had to work harder. I didn't realize what I was doing would hurt anyone."

"I may have been a little brainwashed by my mom as a kid into thinking that money was bad. I don't believe that, but I think there's some residual guilt.

“I thought not having money was a drag. That's why I wanted to make money. I think I associated hard work with poverty. Now I know better.”