Things We Saw Today: Ray Liotta (1954-2022)

Iconic actor Ray Liotta—who had one of those faces that felt like he’d been in movies as long as there’ve been movies—has passed away at 67. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Liotta died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming a movie called Dangerous Waters.

Liotta is perhaps best known for his role as Henry Hill in the 1990 Martin Scorcese movie Goodfellas, which he also narrated, as well as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams. With his piercing blue eyes, Liotta often played intense, tough-guy roles, and he always seemed ubiquitous in Hollywood when I was growing up. His career never slowed down, spanning more than four decades onscreen. He was recently seen in The Many Saints of Newark, HBO’s prequel to The Sopranos.

“Ray was the epitome of a tough guy who was all mushy on the inside,” Jennifer Lopez wrote on Twitter. The actress co-starred alongside Liotta in the TV cop drama Shades of Blue. “… I guess that’s what made him such a compelling actor to watch.” Lopez concluded her online tribute: “Like a raw nerve, he was so accessible and so in touch in his acting and I will always remember our time together fondly. We lost a great today … RIP RAY … it’s so sad to lose you what seems way to soon.”

The was something that felt coolly untouchable about Liotta’s performances, while at the same time he simmered with dangerous, combustible energy. He was the rare actor who could play the baddest of bad guys and the good guy hunting down criminals with the same convincing fervor.

Many tributes from people who knew him and fans alike have been pouring in for Liotta, praising both the man and his enviable acting range:

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Kaila Hale-Stern

Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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