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Hollywood tributes are pouring in for Ray Liotta, the distinctive “Goodfellas” actor who died suddenly at 67 years old. The actor was in the Dominican Republic at the time of his death shooting the movie “Dangerous Waters.” Liotta went to sleep and never woke up, the actor’s publicist confirmed.

“Goodfellas” director Martin Scorsese remembered the actor in a statement, “I’m absolutely shocked and devastated by the sudden, unexpected death of Ray Liotta. He was so uniquely gifted, so adventurous, so courageous as an actor. Playing Henry Hill in ‘Good Fellas’ was a tall order, because the character had so many different facets, so many complicated layers, and Ray was in almost every scene of a long, tough shoot. He absolutely amazed me, and I’ll always be proud of the work we did together on that picture. My heart goes out to his loved ones, and it aches for his loss, way too early.”

“Sopranos” creator David Chase, who recently produced “The Many Saints of Newark,” in which Liotta appeared, said in a statement, “This is a massive, unexpected shock. I have been an admirer of Ray’s work since I saw him in ‘Something Wild,’ a movie he wrenched by the tail. I was so glad he worked on ‘The Many Saints of Newark.’ I believed strongly in my heart that he could play that double role. He created two distinctly separate characters and each performance was phenomenal. Ray was also a very warm and humorous person. A really superior actor. We all felt we lucked out having him on that movie.”

Liotta is forever known for his performance as mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas.” His other well-regarded roles include playing Shoeless Joe Jackson in “Field of Dreams.”

RELATED: Ray Liotta’s Career in Photos, From ‘Goodfellas’ to ‘The Many Saints of Newark’

His “Field of Dreams” co-star Kevin Costner tweeted, “Devastated to hear the news of Ray Liotta’s passing. 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. Now God has Ray.”

His “Goodfellas” co-star Robert De Niro shared a statement, writing, “I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too young to have left us. May he Rest in Peace.”

“I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray,” the late actor’s “Goodfellas” co-star Lorraine Bracco wrote on Twitter. “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.”

Jennifer Lopez, who worked with Liotta on the NBC series, “Shades of Blue” shared, “Ray was my partner in crime on Shades of Blue … the first thing that comes to mind is he so was 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.” She recalled hearing the first time she heard Liotta had signed on to play the commander of the Street Crimes detective unit, “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.”

The two worked on the series for three seasons from 2016-2018. In her tribute, Lopez said, “We lost a great today.”

 

“Shocked and saddened to hear of Ray Liotta’s passing,” filmmaker James Mangold wrote on Twitter. “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.”

“I had a special bond with Ray Liotta,” Elizabeth Banks wrote on Twitter. “We met on a little film, ‘The Details,’ and he blew me away. I always admired his acting but I genuinely enjoyed him as a human. He was a charmer. We have been collaborating on ‘Cocaine Bear’ these past few months. I just saw him, hugged him, heard about his summer travel plans. When any actor of Ray’s caliber puts trust in you as a director, it’s a gift. But Ray gave me so much more. I had been told in the past by Hollywood producers that men wouldn’t follow me, that I couldn’t direct action because of that. Ray’s respect for me as a director, actress and artist, as his boss on set, meant everything to me because if you can direct Henry Hill, you can do fucking anything in this town. Thank you Ray. My heart is with Karsten and Jacy today, his two favorite women.”

“Ray Liotta. Man. Just met dude for the first time last year. GREAT actor,” actor Jeffrey Wright wrote. “Nice to have had a chance to say that to him. RIP.”

Jamie Lee Curtis added her own tribute: “Ray Liotta has died. His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear.”

Oscar and Emmy winner Viola Davis shared an obituary for Liotta and wrote to her followers that she “loved” his work, while Rosanna Arquette added, “I’m really sad to hear that Ray Liotta has passed away. He was a friend back in the day and it’s very sad. We had a lot of laughs Rest In Peace My friend.”

See more tributes to Ray Liotta in the posts below.

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