Who was Ray Liotta; Goodfellas actor dies at 67 [details]

Noted Hollywood actor Ray Liotta has died, his publicist Jennifer Allen confirmed. He was aged 67.

The Emmy Award winning actor was in the Dominican Republic shooting for the movie Dangerous Waters. He was with his fiancé Jacy Nittolo when he passed away in his sleep in his hotel room.

Liotta is survived by his fiancé and 23-year-old daughter Karsen, who he had with his ex-wife Michelle Grace. In his career, Liotta did some remarkable roles and his guest role as an alcoholic ex-con in the drama series for his 2005 role on the hit NBC medical drama ER.

Who was Ray Liotta?

Raymond Allen Liotta was born in Newark on December 18, 1954. He was adopted by Mary and Alfred Liotta from an orphanage when he was six months old. Speaking about his biological family, he had once said in an interview that it wasn't until the age of 15 that he found out he had a half-brother, five half-sisters and a full sister.

He graduated from the University of Miami in 1978, where he studied acting. He then went on to work as a bartender on Broadway before landing a role in Another World, an NBC soap which he was a part of from 1978 till 1981. Liotta's film debut was 1983's The Lonely Lady, where he played a rapist.

Liotta's role as real-life mobster Henry Hill in Scorsese's crime masterpiece is well-lauded. He worked alongside Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, which won an Oscar and was nominated for five others.

Speaking about playing negative roles, Sinclair and Hill in particular, he had said in an interview, but that's not who I am — I mean, me personally, I've never been in a fight in my life, and yet here, now, I'm getting stuck with this tough guy stuff."

Most recently, Liotta finished working on the 2023 film The Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks. Liotta leaves behind a rich legacy in the form of his work and a void in English cinema.