Ray Liotta remembered: Friends and colleagues pay tribute to the Field Of Dreams star
Seth Rogen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Goodfellas co-star Lorraine Bracco among those honoring the actor
Ray Liotta is being remembered by friends, fans, and co-stars after his death at age 67. The Field Of Dreams star died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic while shooting the film Dangerous Waters. After news of his death broke on Thursday, tributes poured in for the legendary star.
Lorraine Bracco, Liotta’s onscreen wife in Goodfellas, wrote on Twitter, “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.”
James Mangold, who directed the actor in 2003’s Identity, tweeted, “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. RIP.”
Seth Rogen, who starred alongside Liotta in the 2009 comedy Observe And Report, shared his own remembrance, writing: “I can’t believe Ray Liotta has passed away. He was such a lovely, talented and hilarious person. Working with him was one of the great joys of my career and we made some of my favorite scenes I ever got to be in. A true legend of immense skill and grace.”
David Chase, Sopranos and The Many Saints Of Newark creator, said in a statement to Deadline, “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.”
The Many Saints Of Newark co-star Alessandro Nivola tweeted, “RIP Ray Liotta. I feel so lucky to have squared off against this legend in one of his final roles. 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.”
Other Twitter tributes came from Jamie Lee Curtis, who wrote, “Ray Liotta has died. His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear,” and Rosanna Arquette, who tweeted, “I’m really sad to hear that Ray Liotta has passed away. He was a friend back in the day and it’s very sad. We had a lot of laughs Rest In Peace My friend.”
Other stars who honored Liotta online include Jeffrey Wright, Melanie Lynseky, John Cusack, Edgar Wright, and many more.