Ray Liotta dead at 67. Charismatic star of ‘Goodfellas’ grew up in N.J.

Ray Liotta in 2019. The actor died in the Dominican Republic, where he had been filming a movie.
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Ray Liotta, the New Jersey actor who dazzled as mobster Henry Hill in “Goodfellas,” has died.

Deadline reports that Liotta, 67, died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he had been filming the movie “Dangerous Waters.”

Those who shared the screen with Liotta remembered him for being a dynamic, immensely talented actor with a generous spirit.

Liotta was an ambassador for a special strain of Jersey cool. Onscreen, he could be biting, suave or darkly funny — often all at once.

He was born in Newark and grew up in Union Township the adopted son of Mary and Alfred Liotta, who were active in the local political scene and local government — his mother was township clerk and his father was in the leadership of the Democratic club.

In 2021, Liotta revisited his Jersey roots, pulling double duty as two characters in the “Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark.” He played both the loud, bombastic “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti, father of Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola) and grandfather of Christopher Moltisanti; and Dick’s twin brother, the sage, understated Sal Moltisanti, or Uncle Sally, who dispensed wisdom from prison.

Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta in "Goodfellas."

“I really was able to have my cake and eat it too,” Liotta told NJ Advance Media when talking about the Jersey-set film, which reunited him with series creator David Chase, who had once tried to cast him in “The Sopranos.”

“I wasn’t on anybody’s list to be in it,” the actor said of the big-screen prequel, which served as an origin story for Tony Soprano. “I said, ‘You know what? I want to meet David Chase. Maybe there’s a chance.’”

Liotta said he was told there would be no guarantees. He flew to New York to see Chase and the film’s director, Alan Taylor.

“By the end of the lunch,” he said, “They offered me the part.”

Liotta’s other recent film roles included a divorce lawyer in the Oscar-nominated film “Marriage Story” (2019). He also had recurring roles in the Amazon series “Hanna” and the Apple TV+ miniseries “Black Bird,” premiering in July.

Before his death, Liotta filmed the movie “El Tonto,” a comedy, and the thriller “Cocaine Bear.”

Ray Liotta with Joey "CoCo" Diaz and John Borras in "The Many Saints of Newark."

He broke out as the wily scoundrel Ray opposite Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith in the 1986 Jonathan Demme film “Something Wild,” for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Liotta played Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film “Field of Dreams” before he joined fellow Newark native Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s iconic “Goodfellas” (1990), which was nominated for best picture.

As real-life Mafia guy Henry Hill, Liotta was an alternately swaggering, guffawing and addled character — but whatever he was doing in any scene, you couldn’t take your eyes off him.

He later co-starred with Whoopi Goldberg as a 1959 widower who hires a nanny for his young daughter, played by Tina Majorino in “Corrina, Corrina” (1994).

Liotta was one formidable actor in the all-star cast of “Cop Land,” James Mangold’s 1997 crime film set in the fictional Hudson River town of Garrison, New Jersey, which saw the actor play an NYPD officer opposite Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro.

In 2005, Liotta won an Emmy for a guest actor role on the NBC medical drama “ER.”

The Jersey actor, known for his piercing blue eyes, played Hoboken’s Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, in the 1998 HBO movie “The Rat Pack,” which landed him a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Liotta also headed up the NBC police drama “Shades of Blue” with Jennifer Lopez and Drea de Matteo for three seasons until 2018.

Ray Liotta and his fiancee, Jacy Nittolo, at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2020.

He is survived by his daughter, Karsen Liotta, 23, from his marriage to Michelle Grace (they were married from 1997 to 2004).

Karsen, an actor, played her father’s daughter on “Shades of Blue” and appeared with him in the 2020 Adam Sandler Netflix movie “Hubie Halloween.”

Liotta is also survived by his fiancee, Jacy Nittolo. The couple got engaged in 2020.

The respected actor’s peers and friends mourned and remembered him on social media Thursday, expressing their shock at his unexpected loss.

Lorraine Bracco, who starred opposite Liotta as Karen Hill, Henry Hill’s wife in “Goodfellas,” paid tribute to her screen partner.

“I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray,” she said in an Instagram post that included a photo of the actors sharing a laugh.

“I can be just about anywhere in the world and people will come up and tell me their favorite movie is Goodfellas,” Bracco said. “And then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. And my response has always been the same…Ray Liotta.”

Jennifer Lopez posted an emotional scene with Liotta from “Shades of Blue,” calling him her partner in crime on the series and a talent lost far too soon.

“The first thing that comes to mind is he was so kind to my children,” she said. “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,” she said. “Like a raw nerve, he was so accessible and so in touch in his acting.”

Alessandro Nivola said he treasured sharing scenes with Liotta, who played his character’s father and uncle in “The Many Saints of Newark.”

“I feel so lucky to have squared off against this legend in one of his final roles,“ Nivola tweeted. “The scenes we did together were among the all time highlights of my acting career. He was dangerous, unpredictable, hilarious, and generous with his praise for other actors. Too soon.”

Tina Majorino, who played Liotta’s young daughter in “Corrina, Corrina,” said the actor was a huge influence on her development as a performer.

Majorino posted photos from her time working on the film with Liotta and Whoopi Goldberg. She thanked him for “making me fall even deeper in love with movies and what we do, for making me feel safe and loved and courageous when I was so small and just starting out, for being so kind to me and my family, and for gifting all of us with your immense presence and talent.

“What an honor to know and love you,” said Majorino, now 37.

Debi Mazar, who played Sandy, Henry Hill’s partner in cocaine and adultery in “Goodfellas,” also remembered Liotta, posting photos from the set with the actor and Scorsese.

“Thank you for the memories, your generosity at work, your wicked sense of humor, your raw grit & lazer stare. You had me at ‘Dominick & Eugene,’” she said on Instagram, referring to Liotta’s role as Eugene in the 1988 film about twin brothers, with Tom Hulce and Jamie Lee Curtis.

“One of a kind,” Mazar said.

Curtis fondly recalled working with Liotta on the movie.

“What a gentle human,” she said. “His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human. A beautiful artist.”

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter.

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