Who is the ‘Hard Knocks’ narrator? Familiar voice on HBO series belongs to actor Liev Schreiber

While many teams have come and gone through hard knocks, only one voice has remained constant.

If the soft, velvety tones of the Hard Knocks narrator sound familiar, that’s because you might know Ray Donovan, the Scream movies, or – *shudder* – “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”

That’s because award-winning actor and frequent Outstanding Narrator nominee Liev Schreiber has been the voice behind all of HBO’s training camp documentaries since the series first aired in 2001.

Schreiber has partnered with HBO and the series for every season of the show except for 2017, when another famous actor took over the mic. There was also a good reason for the exchange.

MORE: ‘Hard Knocks’ schedule – date, time for each episode featuring Lions

Here’s what you need to know about Schreiber’s longstanding relationship with the network and the show.

Who is the “Hard Knocks” narrator?

Critically acclaimed actor (and owner of one of Hollywood’s finest voices) Liev Schreiber has been the narrator of “Hard Knocks” since 2001 for all but one season of the show.

There’s only one season that Schreiber didn’t narrate, and that was 2017. Instead, award-winning actor Paul Rudd took over the mic for Chiefs’ edition of Hard Knocks. Rudd is a lifelong Chiefs fan.

In a 2017 interview with Dan Patrick, Schreiber opened up about why he enjoys doing the voiceover work for the show:

“I love that aspect of my job, I love the shows that they (HBO) do,” Schreiber said at the time. “Writing is really everything. When you find someone who gets it right, it’s magic. I think in the great tradition of John Facenda and NFL Films they wrote this really dramatic stuff. I think that kind of juxtaposition of athleticism and poetry is really fantastic.”

If you didn’t recognize Schreiber’s voice, don’t worry: He says a lot of people don’t know he’s the voice behind the show.

MORE: ‘Hard Knocks’ story – How teams played after starring on the show

Schreiber has received many Primetime Emmy nominations throughout his career for Outstanding Narrator, though not for his behind-the-scenes work on HBO’s Training Camp series.

He has been nominated for the following series: Muhammad Ali: Only One, UConn: The March to Madness, 24/7, and The Many Lives of Nick Buoniconti.

In 2022, Schreiber has some competition for best voice – which will be challenged by Lions head coach Dan Campbell himself.