Goodfellas legend Ray Liotta has died aged 67.
The actor, who was best known for his leading role in Martin Scorsese’s crime film, in which he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic.
Deadline reports Liotta had been filming a new movie, Dangerous Waters, in which he was starring alongside Odeya Rush, Eric Dane, and Saffron Burrows.
Celebrities, including his Goodfellas co-star Lorraine Bracco, have shared emotional tributes to the star following his death.
‘I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray,’ Lorraine tweeted. ‘I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up & tell me their favourite movie is Goodfellas.
‘Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same…Ray Liotta.’
Liotta’s first major acting role was the 1986 film Something Wild, which earned him his first Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor in a motion picture.
Four years later, in 1990, he went on to play real-life mobster Henry Hill in Scorsese’s critically acclaimed movie Goodfellas, before going onto portray a psychopathic cop in the thriller Unlawful Entry.
In 1996, Liotta starred in the sci-fi/thriller Unforgettable, before earning critical praise for his appearance in James Mangold’s 1997 film Cop Land.
More recently, Liotta featured in the Oscar nominated film Marriage Story, alongside Adam Driver and Scarlet Johansson.
Last year, he starred in The Many Saints Of Newark and No Sudden Move.
In an interview with the Guardian in September, Liotta admitted he hadn’t watched his 1989 film, Field of Dreams, in which he played Shoeless Joe Jackson.
‘It’s just a personal thing that happened,’ he said. ‘My mom was sick when we went to see it, so we didn’t stay the whole time so it’s not something I want to do. It’s on TV a lot, but I just pass over it. I’ve no desire. That’s it.’
In addition to his film roles, Liotta enjoyed a glistening career on the small screen.
He portrayed singer Frank Sinatra in the 1998 TV movie The Rat Pack, for which he received a Screen Actors Guild award nomination.
Liotta appeared as himself in a range of shows, including Saturday Night Live, Phineas and Ferb, and Modern Family in 2017.
He also voiced Tommy Vercetti in the computer game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002).
Tributes have been flooding in for the late actor, with Rosanna Arquette writing: ‘I’m really sad to hear that Ray Liotta has passed away. He was an friend back in the day and it’s very sad. We had a lot of laughs Rest In Peace My friend.’ (sic)
Piers Morgan penned: ‘RIP Ray Liotta, 67. Brilliant actor, loved him in Goodfellas. Sad news.’
Liotta was was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1954. He was abandoned at
an orphanage before being adopted at six-months-old by Marty and Alfred
Liotta.
At the time of his death, he was engaged to be married to his partner Jacy Nittolo.
He is survived by his daughter, Karsen, who he shared with his ex-wife Michelle Grace.
