Martin Scorcese says he’s ‘devastated’ by Ray Liotta’s death aged just 67

Goodfellas director Martin Scorsese – who gave Ray Liotta his breakout role – paid tribute to the actor following his death on Thursday. He was 67.

‘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,’ the director, 79, wrote. ‘Playing Henry Hill in Good Fellas (sic) 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,’ he said, referring to Liotta’s famed role in the acclaimed 1990 gangster movie, according to Deadline. 

The Goodfellas star died in his sleep at a hotel in the Dominican Republic, where he had been filming a new movie.

The legendary gangster actor passed away in bed at Casas del XVI in Zona Colonial on Thursday just weeks after filming started on Dangerous Waters.

An emergency service team had rushed to the building but he could not be saved, with his body transferred to the forensic institute of Santo Domingo. There is understood to be no suspicion of foul play.

People linked to the upcoming movie were spotted leaving the hotel with suitcases and props on Thursday afternoon after news of his death spread.

Liotta leaves behind his fiancée Jacy Nittolo, 46, as well as his daughter Karsen, 23, who he had with ex-wife Michelle Grace.

The actor had been spotted out and about in LA in March where onlookers said he appeared ‘noticeably pale’ and ‘needed help from the valet putting on his jacket.’

The source added he was ‘slow and steady on his feet’ and Nittolo had to help him by carrying his bags from the car to the hotel.

But he looked healthier in pictures taken at the start of this month as he strolled through Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles with his fiancée.

Liotta had been a smoker but started appearing in adverts for Chantix – a brand run by vaccine guru’s Pfizer – in 2018, with one saying: ‘I tried to quit smoking for years on my own. I couldn’t do it. I needed help.’

The cause of his death remains unclear and there is no suggestion the Hollywood superstar died of a smoking-related illness.

His sudden death shocked fans as he was embarking on a huge resurgence in his career recent years, with him staring alongside Taron Egerton in Black Bird later this year.

He also featured in The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story and No Sudden Move in more recent years as his acting took off again.

But he was best known for his incredible performance in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 gangster classic Goodfellas, where he played Henry Hill while De Niro, 78, took on the role of Jimmy Conway.

His publicist Jennifer Allen, from Viewpoint, said the actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming Dangerous Waters. Nittolo was on location at the time of his death.

A spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s General Direction of Cinema said: ‘We understand that he was accompanied by his wife and that the wife asks that you please respect her grief.’

He is believed to have passed away at the five-star Casas del VXI on the island, which boasts on its website for being ‘a unique collection of houses representing a new concept in fine travel lodging and the only one of its kind in hotels in Santo Domingo.’

It continues: ‘In the beautiful Colonial City, individual houses, some dating from the 16th century, combine into a single – and singular – hotel environment, which makes it suitable to provide privacy and safety to our discerned guests.

‘The meticulously restored Casas retain authentic elements of their past combined with modern comfort and distinguished hospitality that includes all the safety and health measures and protocols required in this day and age.

‘Come and experience timeless hospitality and elegance amid modern luxurious accommodations in this exclusive hotel, proud member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ #StaySmallStaySafe.

‘Casas del XVI will renew the spirit and move the soul long after your stay has ended.’

The hotel costs from $297 for a one-bed executive room per night and comes with housekeeping, butler and concierge service and a kitchen for the chef’s use.

The luxury doubles are 375 sq ft and are ‘the perfect fit for solo travelers or couples seeking a peaceful and lovely hotel,’ the website said.

A source who saw the actor in March told DailyMail.com how he looked frail and moved carefully.

They said: ‘Ray looked slow and unsteady on his feet. He was noticeably pale and needed help from the valet putting on his jacket. His fiancée was carrying all the bags to help him out.’

The actor most recently spoke on social media in an Instagram post three weeks ago where he plugged his new movie Cocaine Bear.

He wrote: ‘Cocaine Bear follows an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of the white powder and goes on a coke-fueled rampage seeking more blow — and blood.’

Liotta had been a smoker up until around 2018 where he started appearing in Pfizer’s Chantix adverts, which he said helped him pack in the cigarettes.

In one he says: ‘In the movies, a lot of times I tend to play the tough guy. But I wasn’t tough enough to quit on my own – not until I tried Chantix.’

A spokesman for the firm previously said the actor had ‘wanted to share his story to help others’ so joined its cast for the commercials. 

Liotta was born in New Jersey in 1954 but was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage before being adopted six months later.

He went to live with a town clerk and auto-parts shop owner, who insisted he never contemplated acting while growing up in Newark.

After graduating he moved to New York City and worked as a barman until he was cast in soap opera Another World in 1980.

Liotta found fame playing ex-con Ray Sinclair in 1986 black comedy Something Wild, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

He went on to star as Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film Field Of Dreams and is best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in Goodfellas opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci and directed by Martin Scorsese.

Asked why he never worked with Scorsese – a director renown for working with the same cast – again, he said: ‘I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. But I’d love to.’

While making Goodfellas, tragedy struck when his adoptive mother died of cancer in his arms.

The actor got the news she had taken a turn for the worse in the middle of filming, but he still made sure to finish the scene.

‘My mom was sick with cancer during the filming of Goodfellas, and she passed away in the middle of it… It put things in perspective in a really deep way,’ he told the Today show last year, while discussing the highly-acclaimed film.

‘I was doing a scene Friday. They told me [she was dying]. My knees buckled, but you realize you’ve got to go back and finish the scene. And I did.’

After wrapping up for the day, he rushed to the hospital and made it just in time to say goodbye. 

‘I went back [to the hospital] that night, and luckily I was there when she passed, literally in my arms. I’ve never really talked about that,’ he continued.

The actor appeared to shy away from his fame in the 1990s and kept a low profile but made a resurgence in more recent years.

Tributes flooded in for the beloved star on Friday afternoon, with Devon Sawa saying: ‘I try not to do the RIPs but Ray Liotta was truly one of my favorites to watch.

‘He just has this magnetic draw to his performances, which is part of the reason Godfellas remains tied with Aliens as my favorite film(s) ever made. This one stung more than usual.

De Niro said: ‘I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too young to have left us. May he Rest in Peace.’

Chase, who worked with him on The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark said: ‘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.’

Goodfellas costar Lorraine Bracco, who was his wife in the movie, said: ‘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.’

Josh Brolin said: ‘My buddy. My friend. How so soon? Why? I’ll miss you. I will think about seeing you at Gold’s often, talking about what to do next, how to find something together.

‘I always looked up to you — the work was always so good, but the man you were always stood out among the rest of them. Yes, I will miss you, pal. Until we meet again, wherever they say that is.’

Helena Christensen wrote: ‘Oh man what an immense actor he was ♥️.’ Joe Pantoliano said: ‘WHAT!!!! No! Omg! I was watering the lawn this morning and I was thinking about Ray he popped into my head. Oh No! RIP RAY RAY…’ 

Viola Davis said: ‘RIP Ray Liotta. Loved your work.’ Jamie Lee Curtis posted: ‘His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear.’

Rosanna Arquette wrote: ‘I’m really sad to hear that Ray Liotta has passed away. He was an friend back in the day and it’s very sad. We had a lot of laughs Rest In Peace My friend.’

Jeffrey Wright said: ‘Ray Liotta. Man. Just met dude for the first time last year. GREAT actor. Nice to have had a chance to say that to him. RIP.’

Mangold put: ‘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.’ 

Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson also paid tribute to the one-time guest star on the hit show, stating: ‘He was one of the greatest actors of our generation.

‘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.’ 

The Many Saints of Newark actor Alessandro Nivola also paid tribute, telling Deadline: ‘RIP Ray Liotta. I feel so lucky to have squared off against this legend in one of his final role.’

The actor, who starred in more than 80 films, revealed more about his life in an interview with Esquire magazine in 2016.

He said: ‘I’m adopted so I don’t really know what I am. Who I consider my mother and father are Italian and Scottish.

‘I did find my birth mother and she said she was a mix of something, and when I asked about what my Dad was she wouldn’t even talk about it. It was like it never even happened.’

He added: ‘If I hadn’t have become an actor I’d have gone into construction. I always thought I would be doing construction.

‘Those were jobs I had during the summer. My Dad also had a chain of automotive stores.

‘I didn’t know until after I graduated college that he wanted me to take over the business.

‘When he saw that I was interested in something else, he said: “Well, I’m sick of doing this” and moved in politics.

‘But I never knew that he wanted me to take over. It was in his mind, but I hated it. To this day I hate the smell of rubber.’

The actor’s upcoming film Dangerous Waters co-starred Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane, alongside Odeya Rush and Saffron Burrows. Their casting was announced just a few weeks back, at the beginning of May.

The film centers on an out of control sailing vacation that goes off the rails when a teenage girl discovers ‘the dark past of her mother’s new boyfriend,’ according to the synopsis.

Producers were said to have been pitching the project at this month’s Cannes Film Festival to potential buyers, Deadline reported.

Dangerous Waters was just one of many projects currently on the docket for Liotta at the time of his shocking death.

The actor can be seen in the upcoming television drama Black Bird and recently completed two films, Cocaine Bear and El Tonto.

In addition to Dangerous Waters, Ray had two other films in production: April 29, 1992 and The Substance.

It is unclear if his role in Dangerous Waters will be recast or if his portion of filming had been completed.

In 2016, he told of his regrets he had in the way he handled his career, including turning down the chance to audition for Tim Burton’s Batman movie.

‘I wish I’d handled my career differently but, you know, hindsight…’ he said at the time.

‘When I did my first movie, Tim Burton was getting ready to do Batman and he was interested in me because he wanted it to be edgy and real.

‘I thought, ‘Batman? That’s a stupid idea,’ even though he had just done one of my favorite movies of all time, Beetlejuice. So yes, I regret not auditioning for that.’

He enjoyed a varied career, also appearing as Frank Sinatra in the 1998 TV movie The Rat Pack.

In 2004, Liotta made his Broadway debut in dramatic comedy Match and appeared on the big screen in comedies such as 2010’s Date Night and two Muppets movies, and dramas including 2012’s The Iceman and 2014’s Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.

Despite his immensely varied career, Henry Hill is still a character audiences continued to associate him with. But it was an association the actor did not mind, saying: ‘People ask if I’m bothered by that but no, Goodfellas will be a top 10 movie for years and years, it seems.

‘I have kids coming up to me like the movie’s just come out that week… That and Field Of Dreams. I get a lot of Field Of Dreams lovers too.’

In recent years Liotta appeared in Marriage Story and No Sudden Move and starred alongside Taron Egerton in the upcoming Apple TV series Black Bird.

He also starred in Sky’s Shades Of Blue, a crime drama set in New York which starred Jennifer Lopez as a detective and single mother of a teenage daughter who faces a difficult predicament when the FBI catches her in an incriminating position.

In 2021 Liotta starred in the Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints Of Newark, after turning down a role in the original film.

He recently finished filming Cocaine Bear, a film directed by Elizabeth Banks which is scheduled to be released in February next year.

The actor was also reportedly due to star in The Substance alongside Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

In addition to his acting roles, Liotta was also the narrator of documentary series The Making Of The Mob, and starred in a number of music videos including for David Guetta’s song Lovers On The Sun.

The Goodfellas, the bad, and the ugly: Inside wild life of Ray Liotta, who was abandoned at birth, saw his adoptive mom die in his arms while filming gangster film that shot him to stardom – and the scandals and arrests that dimmed his decades-long career

by Lillian Gissen for DailyMail.com

The news of Goodfellas star Ray Liotta’s sudden death today sent shockwaves through Hollywood – prompting an outpouring of tributes from stars around the world, including several of his surviving co-stars from the gangster movie that shot him to stardom.

But while Liotta, who passed away in his sleep in a hotel in the Dominican Republic, is best remembered for his work on the big screen and his dominance of the mob movie genre, behind the scenes, his life was as dramatic and, at times, tragic, as many of the characters he portrayed.  

The legendary actor – who is best known for playing mob leader Henry Hill in Goodfellas – passed away in bed on Thursday on the Caribbean island of Zona Colonial.

He was in the midst of filmign the upcoming flick Dangerous Waters, which is being directed by John Barr and is also set to star Eric Dane, Odeya Rush, and Saffron Burrows.

An emergency service team reportedly rushed to the building, but he could not be saved; his body was transferred to the forensic institute of Santo Domingo and there is no suspicion of foul play. 

In the wake of his sudden passing, FEMAIL has taken a look back at his impressive career – including how he overcame tragedy to become a global superstar. 

Liotta, who has a grand list of more than 120 acting credits, was left at an orphanage by his mother when he was a baby. 

He was adopted at age six by a New Jersey couple, and for decades he struggled to come to terms with the fact that his biological mother had given him up.

Decades later, with the help of his ex-wife, Michelle Grace, the star was able to find and reunite with his birth mom, however, he later called their meet up ‘disappointing,’ adding, ‘Thank God I was adopted.’

Liotta faced heartbreak once again while making the 1990 gangster movie Goodfellas – when his adoptive mother died of cancer while he was holding her.

However, despite being plagued with tribulation in his family life, the star flourished in his career – landing a huge array of roles throughout his decades-long profession as an actor.

He was also able to find love late in life, falling for a former hairstylist named Jacy Nittolo, 46, during the pandemic, whom he was gearing up to marry before his tragic death.

A spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s General Direction of Cinema confirmed the news, stating: ‘We understand that he was accompanied by his [fiancée] and that the [fiancée] asks that you please respect her grief.’ 

The actor had been spotted out and about in Los Angeles back in March, where onlookers told DailyMail.com exclusively that he appeared ‘noticeably pale’ and ‘needed help from the valet putting on his jacket.’ 

The source added that he was ‘slow and steady on his feet,’ and that Nittolo had to help him by carrying all his bags from the car to the hotel. 

But the acclaimed movie star looked healthier in pictures taken at the start of this month, as he strolled through Pacific Palisades with his fiancée. 

From how having a crush on a cute girl inspired him to get into acting to how he prevailed despite being abandoned by his birth mom as a baby and his adoptive mother dying in his arms – FEMAIL has recapped Liotta’s extraordinary life.

Ray Liotta’s childhood: How being abandoned by his mom as a baby plagued him for years to come

Liotta was born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 18, 1954. His mother left him at an orphanage as a baby, and he was adopted at the age of six by a Scottish township clerk and an Italian auto-parts store owner named Mary and Alfred Liotta. His sister, Linda, was also adopted.

Throughout his childhood, both of Liotta’s parents ran for local office but neither of them won. 

He previously told NJ.com that he spent most of his time as a kid playing sports – including basketball, baseball, and football – and ‘pretend games’ like ‘army.’

He was brought up as Catholic but later said he didn’t consider himself religious, since he remembered church as being a ‘scary place.’

‘We did go to church, we were not raised in a strict home. We went to church every Sunday but we had a horrible priest,’ he told the Christian Post in 2014. 

‘I was brought up Catholic and [the priest] was just scary, [church] was just so heavy and scary. [He] gave me this huge fear of death … I’d definitely say I’m much more spiritual than religious.’

In a separate 2014 interview, however, he admitted that he ‘still prays.’

‘To this day, I still pray. Some days, you’ll listen to a bunch of scientists on some television show, and say, ‘There’s no way someone just said boom here it is.’ But yet, I still believe there’s gotta be something. I don’t know, did we really just crawl out of the sea?’ he once told MovieGuide.org.

His adoptive father, who passed away in 2015, had a long lasting effect on him, with Liotta explaining to Esquire in 2016 that he taught him from a young age to not ‘sweat the small stuff.’

‘He had an expression, my old man – ‘What it mean to me?” Liotta explained. ‘One of his stores was broken into a lot. It was happening like once or twice a month – calls in the middle of the night.

‘I went with him once and I said, ‘Dad, doesn’t this get you upset? Aren’t you tired of this?’ He said, ‘What it mean to me? What am I going to do? This is where my store is, I like the store being here. Things happen.’ He meant: ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff.’ I try not to.’

Although he played many tough mobsters throughout his career, Liotta once admitted that he wasn’t much of a fighter in real life and that his only physical altercation was in seventh grade.

‘It was me and this kid, and for some reason he wanted to challenge me that the food in his grammar school was better than the food in my grammar school,’ he told the Today show of the fight. ‘We sort of just beat each other, like a couple girls.’

He graduated from Union High School in 1973, and went on to attend the University of Miami, where he studied acting and received a BFA in 1978. 

During his time in college, he performed in musicals like Cabaret, Dames at Sea, Oklahoma, and Sound of Music.

As an adult, Liotta tracked down his biological mother with the help of his ex-wife Grace, who became  inspired after she watched an episode of Oprah that featured someone who’s job it was to locate lost family members. The locator, named Troy, was able to find his mother within a day. 

Liotta later told the Christian Post, ‘At the end of [the] show … there was this guy named Troy who was a locator and [my ex] called him without me knowing it and within a day he found out who my birth mother was.

‘The biggest thing that I got out of [our reunion] was, ‘Thank God I was adopted.”

He also told the Guardian that he was ‘disappointed’ when he finally met his mother, reiterating, ‘I was really grateful that I was adopted.’

In the process, he also found out he had a sister, as well as a half brother and five half-sisters. 

Liotta explained in 2014 interview with Larry King that at first, he resented his mother for giving him up. But after finding her and hearing her reasons for leaving him at the orphanage, he understood why she did it.

‘I used to wear being adopted on my sleeve, ‘How could you give up a kid,’ that sort of thing, but realized when I met her that she had really valid reasons,’ he said.

‘I then realized that almost 99 per cent of kids that are put up for adoption, it’s for the betterment of the kid… The household, the situation, the age just dictate that’s the best thing to do for the child.’

Throughout his life, Liotta believed he was half Irish and half Italian, but he was stunned when he reconnected with his mom and found out he was actually of Scottish descent. 

As for his biological father, he didn’t know much about him. He told Esquire, ‘When I asked about what [nationality] my dad was, she wouldn’t even talk about it. It was like it never even happened.’

Getting his start: How a crush inspired him to become an actor, despite him admitting he had no interest in the profession

He may have gone on to become one of the biggest movie stars of all time, but at first, Liotta had no interest in becoming an actor.

He was more into sports, and it wasn’t until his drama teacher asked him to be in a school play that he decided to give it a try. 

He told NJ.com, ‘I never wanted to be an actor. Basically I just played sports all the time. Basketball, baseball, football, you know, whatever the season was. 

‘But I remember senior year, basketball had stopped and the drama teacher asked me if I wanted to be in the play. So, alright, I’m not doing anything, I’m used to hanging around anyway, sure, I’ll be in the play.’

And even after appearing in the play, he still wasn’t drawn to the profession. But when he met a ‘really cute girl’ during college, who was in line to register for the drama department, he said he was inspired to switch majors.

‘I didn’t like [acting] at all. I didn’t like anything about it,’ he continued. ‘What happened afterward was, I went off to the University of Miami… I thought I’d stay a year, do liberal arts. 

‘But I looked at the requirements, and it sounded really hard. And then I looked over and right next to the liberal-arts department was the drama department. And there was this really cute girl in line to register…’

According to the star, if he hadn’t gone into acting, he would have been a construction worker. He explained to Esquire in 2016  that his dad wanted him to take over his automobile business, but he ‘hated’ that idea.

‘If I hadn’t have become an actor I’d have gone into construction. I always thought I would be doing construction. Those were jobs I had during the summer,’ he said.

‘My Dad also had a chain of automotive stores. I didn’t know until after I graduated college that he wanted me to take over the business. 

‘When he saw that I was interested in something else, he said, ‘Well, I’m sick of doing this,’ and moved in politics. But I never knew that he wanted me to take over. It was in his mind, but I hated it. To this day I hate the smell of rubber.’

Mob movie supremo: How Ray Liotta found stardom by playing gangsters, and why he turned down major roles

After finishing college, Liotta moved to New York City where he got a job as a bartender at the Shubert Organization; and within six months of working there, he landed an agent.

One of his earliest roles was as Joey Perrini in the soap opera Another World, which he starred in from 1978 to 1981. He then moved to Los Angeles, California, so he could pursue his acting career even further.

He made his film debut in 1983 in the flick The Lonely Lad, however, what was considered his first major movie role came in 1986 in Something Wild, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

He also starred in sports fantasy movie Field of Dreams in 1989, before he landed the role as mobster Henry in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas in 1990.

Goodfellas also starred Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino, and went on to become one of the most popular movies of its time.

It grossed $47 million in the box office, and was nominated for six Academy awards, with Pesci winning for Best Supporting Actor. 

He later opened up about playing the gangster to NJ.com, admitting that it was difficult for him to portray such a ‘violent person.’

‘When you’re doing it, you try and stay in it, and in that mood as much as possible,’ he said. ‘It can get to you. 

‘I’m not a violent person and to play someone like that, and try to put yourself in their head – I’ve done movies where at the end of the shoot, I’m definitely exhausted.’

After Goodfellas, he starred in a slew of big movies and TV shows including psychological thriller Unlawful Entry, sci-fi flick No Escape, 1997’s Cop Land, crime movie Phoenix, The Rat Pack (in which he played Frank Sinatra), TV drama ER (which earned him an Emmy), Hannibal (alongside Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore), horror movie Identity, Wild Hogs (opposite John Travolta), 2009 crime drama Crossing Over, The Son of No One (with Channing Tatum), Date Night (which also starred Steve Carell), Killing Them Softly in 2012, western miniseries Texas Rising, and Shades of Blue (alongside Jennifer Lopez), among others.

He also provided his voice for the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002, acted in the Broadway play Match in 2004, and narrated the AMC docu-series The Making of the Mob.

Despite his major success, Liotta once spoke out about the struggles of being an actor, especially when he didn’t land a role that he auditioned for.

‘The business is rough, no matter where you’re at in your career,’ he told NJ.com. ‘There’s always some reason for them to say no to you – that part of it is horrible

‘But the job itself – making people believe that what they’re seeing is really happening – that’s still a challenge, putting that puzzle together. You know, what can I say, I still like playing pretend. And it’s sure a fun way to make a living.’

 He also addressed the public reception of his movies, calling it ‘really disappointing’ when something he starred in got a negative review.

‘It’s really disappointing because our business is not a meritocracy,’ he told the Guardian.

‘It doesn’t matter how well you do; it’s how well the movie does. That predicts what’s going to happen with your jobs. The better the movie does, the more offers you get. So I was burned a couple of times, and disappointed.  

‘Back in 1991 I was picky about what I would do. But you can’t just sit around and wait for the perfect ones to turn up. You try to make the best choices that you can.’

Despite appearing in more than 120 titles throughout his career, he admitted that he still didn’t feel like he fit in with his fellow actors. 

He shared, ‘I don’t feel like I’m one of the guys. Even when I’m with these guys [his Hannibal costars] I feel I’m more quiet and let them take center stage. My personality is more mellow. I don’t need to be the center of attention. I don’t know if that’s being an outsider or not.’

While speaking to the Guardian in a separate interview last year, he admitted that he often turned down roles throughout his career, in the fear of playing similar characters back-to-back.

It turns out, he said no to portraying Ralphie in The Sopranos because he felt it was too much like his part in Goodfellas. 

‘I didn’t want to do another mafia thing, and I was shooting Hannibal. It just didn’t feel right at the time,’ he said.

However, as time went on, he became more willing to play whatever roles appealed to him.

‘If I played a bad guy, then I want to play a good guy, and then after a while, you just say ‘Whatever’s the best part, you do two bad guys in a row, so be it,’ he told the Digital FX in September.

He also told the Guardian, ‘Back in 1991. I was picky about what I would do. But you can’t just sit around and wait for the perfect ones to turn up. You try to make the best choices that you can, but I was turning down lots of things.’

Aside from The Sopranos, Liotta also turned down the role as Batman in 1989, after director Tim Burton considered casting him in the flick. Jack Nicholson ended up snagging the part.

‘I thought, ‘Batman? That’s a stupid idea,’ even though he’d had just done one of my favorite movies of all time, Beetlejuice. So yes, I regret not auditioning for that,’ he later told Irish News.

He added to Los Angeles Times, ‘I think Tim Burton is such a great, great director, and I’ve always regretted not going to meet him. Just to meet him, just to talk – whether I agreed with playing it – because I couldn’t wrap my head around and understand.’

Losing his adoptive mother: How Ray Liotta made one of the biggest movies of all time while dealing with the tragic loss

While making the movie Goodfellas, tragedy struck for Liotta when his adoptive mother died of cancer in his arms. 

It turns out, the actor got the news that she had taken a turn for the worse in the middle of filming, but he still made sure to finish the scene.

‘My mom was sick with cancer during the filming of Goodfellas, and she passed away in the middle of it… It put things in perspective in a really deep way,’ he told the Today show last year, while discussing the highly-acclaimed film.

‘I was doing a scene Friday. They told me [she was dying]. My knees buckled, but you realize you’ve got to go back and finish the scene. And I did.’

After wrapping up for the day, he rushed to the hospital and made it just in time to say goodbye. 

‘I went back [to the hospital] that night, and luckily I was there when she passed, literally in my arms. I’ve never really talked about that,’ he continued.

While talking to NJ.com, he called making the movie a ‘weird experience’ after suffering from the loss of his mom.

‘It was a weird experience for me, because my mom was really sick, so that was going on, and really tempered what I was feeling at the time,’ he recalled.

‘But that movie, it’s amazing, it definitely has a life of its own, and it’s only grown over time. People watch it over and over, and still respond to it, and different ages come up, even today, teenagers come up to me and they really emotionally connect to it.’

After his adoptive parents passed away, Liotta admitted that he wasn’t sure how they felt about his impressive acting career.

He explained that despite them often watching his appearances, they never told him they were proud of his achievements. 

He said in 2016: ‘You know, my parents never really said one way or the other if he was pleased I became successful. My mother passed away right in the middle of Goodfellas. 

‘I knew they were proud because they taped the shows I was on and they would watch them at night, but they never really said anything about it or how they thought I was doing.

‘My dad just passed away over Christmas at the age of 98. Like anything, you find out from other people. ‘You’re Dad talks about you so much.’ Really? He does?’

Inside Ray Liotta’s family and love life: How he found love in the years before his death 

Liotta met his ex-wife Grace in February 1997 when they both attended a baseball game, where her former husband Mark Grace was playing for the Chicago Cubs.

Grace, now 53, is a producer and actress who was behind flicks like Baseball Wives and Knights of the South Bronx.

They married in 1999 and were together until 2004, when they got divorced. They welcomed one daughter together, named Karsen Liotta – who is now an actress herself.

Karsen, now 23, has modeled for brands like Brandy Melville, and has starred in A Rumor of Angels, Mississippi Requiem, Shades of Blue, Teenage Bada**, and Hubie Halloween.

According to the budding star, she fell in love with acting after visiting her father’s set as a kid.

‘I always go with him whenever I have a break,’ she told Teen Vogue in 2015. ‘I enjoy hanging out on location and meeting people.’ 

As for the lessons her dad taught her, she explained, ‘He taught me to do my homework, to always practice. That’s how you get where you want to be.’

Liotta couldn’t stop gushing over his daughter while chatting to the Guardian in 2007. He said, ‘My whole life is about her. Being a dad. She’ll come up and visit me on set. I don’t like to go too long without seeing her. 

‘Maybe a couple of weeks. I just had a period of four months at home because I decided not to do a movie so I could spend more time with her. It was all about taking her to dance classes, playing with her.’ 

The actor explained at the time of the interview – which took place three years after his divorce – that he was still friends with Grace and that they were focused on co-parenting their daughter.

‘It just didn’t work out,’ he said of the romance. ‘I would love to be in a relationship with the right person. That’s the key – the right person.

‘She’s a great woman, and thank God we’re still friends. She still stays over at the house, so Karsen can see us together. You want to give her as much semblance of a family unit as you can when you’re separated or divorced.’

Before his romance with Grace, Liotta dated a woman named Heidi – a former stunt woman who was a quadriplegic.

According to the outlet, they met through actress Melanie Griffith, but their romance fizzled out after Liotta realized he needed to focus more on his career.

‘We went to the movies, did everything like a regular girlfriend-boyfriend relationship – physically, sexually, everything,’ he told the outlet.

‘She just happened to be a quad. After a year it starts wearing on you. At first I hoped she’d get better. It was an intense relationship. It took so much out of me I was compromising the work part. I realized that to succeed in the dream I had to break away.’

After he and Grace split, he had a brief relationship – which he kept hidden from the media – but he said it didn’t work out because he was still feeling ‘vulnerable’ from the divorce.

‘I had a relationship after I got divorced and it didn’t feel as equal as I would have liked,’ he admitted. ‘I was more vulnerable based on the experience I’d just been through. Everybody brings the dynamics of the previous relationships they were in.’

At the time, Liotta said he wasn’t dating anyone, but was still hoping to find the love of his life.

‘Dating, I haven’t really gotten into that at all. I’ve only had one or two dates in the past couple of years. It’s either going to happen, or not. I’m hoping that it is,’ he said, adding that he was looking for someone who was ‘not as career-oriented’ and who was ‘more about the relationship.’

‘You kind of want someone who is not at your beck and call but loves the idea of being in a relationship and what that entails. Being there for you,’ he continued.

Before his death, Liotta found love again with former hairstylist Jacy Nittolo, 47. The two started dating during the pandemic after his daughter set them up.

It turns out, she met Nittolo at a party thrown by her son Chazz, and she decided to play matchmaker.

‘She said, ‘I want you to go out with my dad, I think you’d be perfect for my dad,” Liotta recalled during a September 2021 appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan, adding that Nittolo initially wanted ‘nothing’ to do with a famous actor, but she eventually came around.

Before meeting Liotta, Nittolo was previously married to a man named Joey Nittolo, and the pair share sons, Dax, Chazz, and Joey, and daughter, Jade. 

She and Liotta made their red carpet debut at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in February of 2020, and announced their engagement in December of that year. 

‘Christmas wishes do come true. I asked the love of my life to marry me, and thank God she said yes!’ he wrote on Instagram at the time. 

He opened up about their romance to People back in November, explaining: ‘Luckily, I had met somebody [during the pandemic], and it brought us really, really close, to the point now where I’m engaged.

‘So I like to think that was the reason. I’ve heard that there’s a lot of people whose relationship didn’t work out because they were with each other so much. But she’s just great.’

Throughout his decades-long career, Liotta had several controversies and scandals. In 2007, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he crashed his car into two parked vehicles in Pacific Palisades, California.

He was taken into custody and booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge, said Los Angeles Police spokesman Mike Lopez, according to Berkshire Eagle. He was released after posting $15,000 bail and later pled no contest. 

In 2016, the actor appeared on U.K. talk show Good Morning Britain and seemed disoriented and confused, sparking speculation that he was drunk during the appearance.

‘Liotta’s face was pale and bloated. He stumbled over his words and acted way out of character,’ NY Daily News reported at the time.

The ultimate badfella! Real-life mafia turncoat Henry Hill – who was immortalized by Ray Liotta in breakout Goodfellas role – was a BIGAMIST who cheated on his wife while in witness protection, before marrying Mormon single mom he’d known for seven weeks

by Charlie Lankston for DailyMail.com

The real-life mafia turncoat who was immortalized by late actor Ray Liotta in his breakout role in Goodfellas was a bigamist who repeatedly cheated on his wife while in witness protection, before leaving her and their children to wed a Mormon hairdresser he had known for just seven weeks.

Late gangster Henry Hill – who was portrayed by Liotta in Martin Scorcese’s hit 1990 movie – was taken into the FBI’s witness protection program with his wife Karen and their two children, Gail and Michael, in 1980 after helping to jail members of his infamous mafia gang. 

Goodfellas, which is seen by many as the movie that shot Liotta to stardom, ends with Hill being taken into witness protection, a seemingly perfect Hollywood ending. But in reality, Hill’s involvement in the criminal underworld did not end when the credits began rolling, cementing Liotta’s name in the history books – nor did his repeated infidelity. 

Throughout his time spent working for the infamous Lucchese crime family, Hill, who wed his first wife Karen in 1965, was known to have had multiple mistresses. In fact, it was reported that he even tried to convince the FBI to allow him to take two of his lovers into witness protection with his wife and children, according to writers Matthew Pearl and Greg Nichols of Truly*Adventurous.

It is thought that during the first year Hill and his family spent in witness protection, he continued to enjoy several illicit affairs, all the while continuing his criminal dealings – which forced the FBI to repeatedly move them around to different locations. 

Every time Hill was busted by local authorities, he and his family had to relocate so as to keep them off the mafia radar, and within the first year of their time in the program, the Hills had moved from Omaha, Nebraska, to Independence, Kentucky, then to the sleepy town of Redmond, Washington. 

It was here that the mafia boss met Mormon beautician and single mother-of-one Sherry Anders, who spoke out about their ‘magic’ love affair in a 2019 interview with Pearl and Nichols, revealing how the love rat lothario won her over with his dynamic personality after they met for the first time in a local Mexican restaurant. 

For Sherry, who was raised in a rural town in Washington as a Mormon, this was ‘magic’. The two had met in a restaurant after ‘Martin’ overheard her talking about horses. He popped the question under two months later. 

‘It was magic,’ according to Sherry, who is backed up by her roommate, Samantha Kellum, who said: ‘The electricity during those months was just absolutely volatile, just screaming.’

But Vivian Walsh, who owned the salon where Sherry, rented a chair, said: ‘He kind of slinked in and didn’t make good eye contact when I was introduced. I said, ‘You know, I hope that’s not a red flag, but there’s something kind of creepy about him’.’ 

The mobster, who died at the age of 69 in 2012, assumed varying cover stories during his time in witness protection. He told people he worked for the government, an insurance investigator and an author. 

When Hill met up with writer Nick Pileggi single mom Sherry did not know the book Wiseguys, which would inspire the 1990 Martin Scorsese crime classic Goodfellas in which he was played by Liotta alongside Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci, was being written in front of her.  

But their romance would be short lived after his first wife Karen, now known as Kaylen, discovered his affair and confronted Sherry. 

When Sherry asked her: ‘Do you know Martin Lewis?’ Kaylen replied: ‘Yeah. He’s my husband.’ 

And when ‘Martin’ turned up later he found his two wives in the home he shared with Karen. Sherry would later throw him out of their home, screaming: ‘Don’t you ever f***ing come back here.’

One night the two wives are even said to have walked arm in arm into the club Hill was in. Sherry said: ‘Here’s wife Number One and wife Number Two. Isn’t that special?’

At the same time Hill was being followed by a private investigator called Janet. She had been hired a New York law firm representing former mob boss, Jimmy Burke. They wanted dirt on the prosecution’s star witness. 

When Hill and Sherry split Janet approached his second wife for help. Sherry told ‘Kaylen’, who decided his second marriage needed to be dissolved immediately. But Sherry who was now pregnant, refused. 

Twice Kaylan is said to have attacked Sherry, who said: ‘I was never so scared in my life.’ Finally, through a religious loophole Kaylan was able to get the marriage annulled. 

But the family were still taken out of the witness protection program ‘based upon continued arrests and breaches of security’. Martin was sent to prison again and his book Wiseguys was released. Sherry lost their baby.

Hill had already been arrested for getting into a fight with a presumed mistress when they were hidden in Independence, Kentucky.  So brazen was Hill that he even wore a ‘Witness Protection Program’ t-shirt while dating Sherry.

In recent times however he ventured out in public more – opening a restaurant called Wiseguys, launching his own brand of spaghetti sauce and appearing on US TV talking about gangster movies. 

Ten years after their wedding Hill called Sherry, who has now also changed her name to Scarlett. They met up and Hill told her: ‘I’ll love you forever.’ 

As for Karen she divorced Hill in 1990 and it was finalized in 2002. It is not known where she is now.               

Hill died at a hospital in Los Angeles in June 2012 having suffered a heart attack brought on by years of smoking, a habit he blamed on his nerves.