Esteemed Hollywood actor and legend Ray Liotta died at age 67. Details are currently limited, but his death was reportedly sudden and occurred in his sleep.
Liotta was in the Dominican Republic at the time of his death, shooting a film titled Dangerous Waters that also stars Eric Dane and Odeya Rush. The film was one of many he had done in recent years as he had had a resurgence in his career.
Deadline reported on the circumstances of Liotta's death. Working in films steadily since the early 1980s, Liotta was best known for his breakout role in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. Liotta was the star of the film, playing famous mobster Henry Hill. The Academy Award-winning film as a whole is often seen as one of the greatest films of all time, a highlight of Scorsese's impressive career, and groundbreaking for the gangster film genre.
Liotta was born in New Jersey in 1954. As a newborn, he was abandoned in an orphanage but was adopted by his parents at six months old. His parents both ran largely unsuccessful political campaigns, and he had one younger sister who was also adopted. Later in life, he would find his biological mother and biological siblings.
After moving to New York City to pursue an acting career right out of college, Liotta quickly landed an agent and a role on the soap opera Another World, on which he appeared for three years. He left the show to try out a career in the film industry and quickly found success. Though he was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1986's Something Wild and played the iconic role of Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1989's Field of Dreams, it was 1990's Goodfellas that made him a household name.
His role in Goodfellas gave Liotta a reputation revolving around a devilish, gangster attitude and dangerous handsome features. He's often credited for "just looking like a villain" and shining in gangster-type roles. That genre certainly became his niche and what he was best known for, though his filmography is extremely extensive and varied. He often made multiple films each year and at the time of his death, he was attached to at least six upcoming pictures as an actor.
More details of Liotta's death will be released as more is known. Though sudden, it is not being considered suspicious. Liotta is survived by his daughter, Karsen, and fiancée Jacy Nittolo.
Source: Deadline