Ray Liotta Remembered By Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Seth Rogen, More: “A Sweet, Playful And Passionate Collaborator”

Matt Grobar
·8 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Refresh for updates…Tributes to actor Ray Liotta have begun flooding in following the stunning revelation in Deadline of his death today at age 67, with colleagues remembering him not only for his artistic gifts, but also for his character, and a demeanor at odds with that of his most iconic characters.

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery

More from Deadline

Goodfellas director Martin Scorsese wrote: “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.”

Lorraine Bracco, who played Liotta’s wife in Goodfellas, wrote: “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.”

Goodfellas star Robert De Niro said in a statement: “I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too young to have left us.”

Ray Liotta’s Screen Career: A Photo Gallery

Jesse Tyler Ferguson fondly remembered working with Liotta when the actor guest-starred in a 2016 episode of Modern Family. “He was one of the greatest actors of our generation,” Ferguson told Deadline. “The day he was on Modern Family was such a special day. We were really lucky to get a lot of great guest stars, and every once in a while there would be one of his stature that would come in a play with us for the day, and it made us feel so special that they wanted to take the time to come and be with us. He was a movie star, a huge movie star, and I’m just so grateful that he left behind such a beautiful body of work, because that is all we can hope to do with our time on this earth – leave behind something for people to remember us by. And he certainly left a wealth of beautiful performances for us to remember him by.”

“RIP Ray Liotta. I feel so lucky to have squared off against this legend in one of his final roles,” wrote The Many Saints of Newark‘s Alessandro Nivola. “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.”

‘Sopranos’ Boss David Chase On His ‘Many Saints Of Newark’ Star Ray Liotta: “We All Felt We Lucked Out Having Him On That Movie”

“Shocking and saddened to hear of Ray Liotta’s passing,” wrote Ford v. Ferrari filmmaker James Mangold. “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.”

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

“Ray Liotta has died. His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being,” wrote Everything Everywhere All at Once‘s Jamie Lee Curtis. “A gentle man. So sad to hear.”

Kevin Costner On Ray Liotta’s Batting Practice As Shoeless Joe In ‘Field Of Dreams’: “God Gave Us That Stunt”

Then, there was The Princess Bride‘s Cary Elwes, who remembered Liotta as “an extraordinary talent whose remarkable performances left an indelible mark on the screen.”

Deadline hears that Liotta passed in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film Dangerous Waters. We will have share more reactions as they come in…

. - Credit: Twitter
. - Credit: Twitter

Twitter

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.