The sudden death of Ray Liotta triggered an outpouring of emotion in Hollywood.
Actor Ray Liotta, who was in the Dominican Republic working on a project, died in his sleep Thursday night, his publicist told CNN. He was 67.
Actor Ray Liotta died at age 61 on April 15, 2019, after suffering complications from kidney failure. He had a long career in film and television, including his portrayal of real-life mobster Henry Hill in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film “Goodfellas.” Director Martin Scorsese said in a statement to People that he was “absolutely shocked and devastated by the sudden, unexpected death of Ray Liotta.”
“He was so uniquely gifted and adventurous, and he had such courage as an actor. Playing Henry Hill in ‘Goodfellas’ was a tall order because the character had so many different facets and so many complicated layers. Ray was in almost every scene of a long, tough shoot,” Scorsese said. “He absolutely amazed me, and I’ll always be proud of the work we did together on that picture.”
According to co-star Robert De Niro, “I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too young to have left us.”
Lorraine Bracco, who played Hill’s wife in the film and on Thursday tweeted that she was “utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray,” also released a statement saying: “He was a brilliant talent, a thoughtful and committed artist. I was privileged to work with him and truly cherish the time I spent with him.”
After making Goodfellas, Liotta decided to move on from acting. “I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up and tell me their favorite movie is Goodfellas,” he wrote. “Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same…Ray Liotta.”
Goodfellas co-star Debi Mazar posted a tribute to Ray Liotta on Instagram, saying: “Goodbye Ray. Thank you for the memories, your generosity at work, your wicked sense of humor, your raw grit & laser stare. You had me at ‘Dominick & Eugene’ One of a kind.”
Actor Kevin Costner, who starred with Liotta in the movie “Field of Dreams,” tweeted his condolences.
Hollywood actor Kevin Costner expressed his condolences on Twitter Tuesday after learning of the death of his co-star in Field of Dreams, Ray Liotta. “Devastated to hear the news of Ray Liotta’s passing,” he wrote. “While he leaves an incredible legacy, he’ll always be ‘Shoeless Joe Jackson’ in my heart.” “What happened that moment in the film was real. God gave us that stunt,” Costner added.
Jennifer Lopez, who co-stars with Liotta on the show “Shades of Blue,” described him as “the epitome of a tough guy who was all mushy on the inside.”
She wrote, “We had intense moments during the three years we worked together on Shades of Blue! When I first heard he’d been hired for Shades of Blue, I was thrilled, and the first time we walked onto set together to do our first scene there was an electric spark and a mutual respect.”
