Ray Liotta, 'Goodfellas' Star, Dies at 67

Ray Liotta, the enduringly popular actor most famous for his turn in "Goodfellas," died unexpectedly in his sleep Thursday while shooting the film "Dangerous Waters" in the Dominican Republic.

He was 67.

Deadline reports Liotta was on location with his fiancée, and had completed about half of his work.

Liotta was born December 18, 1954, in Newark, New Jersey, where he was first in an orphanage and then adopted at the age of 6 months. Though he would become closely identified as a quintessentially Italian-American actor, research he did in the past 20 years — including finding his biological mother — revealed he was mostly of Scottish descent.

After attending the University of Miami, where he studied to be an actor and appeared in school musicals and plays, he moved to NYC and made his TV debut as Joey Perrini on the soap "Another World" in 1978.

He appeared in several TV movies and made guest appearances before his movie debut, which came in the notorious Pia Zadora bomb "The Lonely Lady" (1983).

The rest of the '80s were kinder, with Liotta making an impact in the films "Something Wild" (1986), "Dominick and Eugene" (1988), and especially in 1989's "Field of Dreams," in which he played the ghost of baseball star Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Liotta's performance as mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" (1990) was one for the ages, and the film became an iconic hit, one of the most revered gangster movies of all time.

Co-star Lorraine Bracco tweeted, "I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray.  I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up & tell me their favorite 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."

Debi Mazar, who played one of his character's girlfriends in "Goodfellas," shared personal photos, writing, "Goodbye Ray.. Thankyou for the memories,your generosity at work,your wicked sense of humor,your raw grit&lazer stare. You had me at ‘Dominick & Eugene’ One of a kind. .. My condolences to your family. R.I.P @rayliotta."

He also scored in "Unlawful Entry" (1992), "Unforgettable" (1996), and "Cop Land" (1997), establishing himself as a box-office draw and respected actor.

"Cop Land" director James Mangold tweeted of Liotta, "Shocked and saddened to hear of Ray Liotta’s passing. Beyond the tough guy exterior and the tightly wound emotions of his signature characters, he was a sweet, playful and passionate collaborator and brilliant actor.  RIP."

In 1998, he played Frank Sinatra in the TV movie "The Rat Pack," and went on to diversify his career by voicing Tommy Vercetti in various versions of "Grand Theft Auto."

He won an Emmy for a turn on "ER" (2004) and in the same year debuted on Broadway in "Match."

Along with his Emmy win, Liotta was a SAG, Golden Globe, Film Independent Spirit, and MTV Movie Award nominee.

Other prominent films include "Hannibal" (2001) — in which his character is fed his own brain by serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) —  "Blow" (2001), "Wild Hogs" (2007), "Date Night" (2010), "Marriage Story" (2019), and "The Many Saints of Newark" (2021).

From 2016-2018, he was a series regular in the Jennifer Lopez TV cop drama "Shades of Blue."

J.Lo shared images of herself and Ray on Instagram, writing, "Ray was my partner in crime on Shades of Blue … the first thing that comes to mind is he was so kind to my children. Ray was the epitome of a tough guy who was all mushy on the inside … I guess that’s what made him such a compelling actor to watch. The original Goodfella. We shared some intense moments on set those three years! When I first heard he took the job on Shades of Blue, I was thrilled, and the first time we walked on set to do our first scene together there was an electric spark and a mutual respect and we both knew this was going to be good. We enjoyed doing our scenes together and I felt lucky to have him there to work with and learn from. Like all artists he was complicated, sincere, honest and so very emotional. Like a raw nerve, he was so accessible and so in touch in his acting and I will always remember our time together fondly. We lost a great today … RIP RAY … it’s so sad to lose you what seems way to soon … I will remember you always. Sending so much love and strength to your daughter Karsen, your family and all your loved ones."

He will be seen in the posthumous releases "Cocaine Bear," directed by Elizabeth Banks, and in a comedy by Charlie Day (as yet untitled), both in post-production, and both expected to be released in 2023.

Survived by his daughter Karsen from his marriage to Michelle Grace (which ended in divorce in 2004), Liotta was engaged to be married to Jacy Nittolo at the time of his sudden death.

Liotta was an actor's actor. "RIP Ray Liotta!! Loved your work," Viola Davis simply tweeted.

Many other celebrities reacted to the sad news on social media: