Acclaimed “Goodfellas” actor Ray Liotta has died. The 67-year-old reportedly passed away in his sleep in the Dominican Republic during production of the film “Dangerous Waters”.
Liotta first turned heads in Jonathan Demme’s 1986 film “Something Wild” with his role of Ray Sinclair garnering him several awards nominations. Work consistently followed across film and television.
Then two roles really served as a breakthrough – Shoeless Joe Jackson in “Field of Dreams,” and the leading role of Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas”. From there Liotta continued with a string of films in the 1990s as a young leading man including “Unlawful Entry,” “Escape from Absolom,” “Corrina, Corrina,” “Unforgettable,” “Turbulence,” “Cop Land,” “Operation Dumbo Drop,” and “Muppets from Space”.
He saw a resurgence as an older more interesting character actor in the early 2000s with “Narc,” “Blow,” “Hannibal,” “Heartbreakers,” “John Q,” “Identity,” and “Smokin’ Aces”. He routinely popped up in a variety of films ranging from “Wild Hogs” and “Killing Them Softly,” to “The Place Beyond the Pines” and “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”.
His TV credits were also strong with an Emmy award for his work in “ER,” SAG nominations for “Texas Rising” and “The Rat Pack,” the lead role in CBS’ short-lived and undervalued heist series “Smith,” and guest roles in shows from “The Simpsons” and “Just Shoot Me” to “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Hanna”. He also won awards for his voice work for the video game “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”.
More recently he appeared in films like “Marriage Story” and “The Many Saints of Newark”. Still to come are his finished work in Elizabeth Banks’ “Cocaine Bear” and a role alongside Taron Egerton in the Apple TV+ series “Black Bird”. Liotta, who was engaged to be married, leaves behind a daughter.
Source: Deadline
