Ray Liotta, an American actor who was best known for his lead roles in the films Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, passed away at the age of 67.

Liotta died peacefully in his sleep in the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic while he was working on a film there at the time.


Liotta shot to stardom after playing the real-life gangster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, a film that revolutionised the gangster genre and was a huge critical and commercial success.

After its release in 1990, it was widely hailed as one of the most successful movies of all time and was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards, eventually taking home one.


In the classic baseball movie Field of Dreams, released a year earlier, he starred opposite Kevin Costner as the real-life Major League Baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson. The movie was also nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture, and is now known as one of the most beloved sports movies of all time.

Liotta's performance in the film Something Wild in 1986 earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe. In addition, he played the role of singer Frank Sinatra in the television movie The Rat Pack in 1998 and starred alongside Brad Pitt in the film Killing Them Softly in 2012.

Many Hollywood insiders have paid their respects, including Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Alessandro Nivola, David Chase, and Seth Rogen, all of whom worked with Liotta during his time on screen.

In a statement that was sent out via email, Robert De Niro, who starred alongside Ray Liotta in the film Goodfellas, said the following: "I was very saddened to learn of Ray's passing. He is way too way young to have left us. May he Rest in Peace."


Lorraine Bracco, who portrayed Karen Hill opposite Ray Liotta's mobster character Henry Hill in the film Goodfellas, tweeted that she was "utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray."

"I can be anywhere in the world and people will come up and tell me their favourite 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."

According to reports, the legendary actor had gotten about halfway through recording the movie about a sailing holiday spiralling out of control. Although the cause of his death or the exact time of his passing are unknown at this time, it is generally understood that there is no reason to suspect that foul play was involved.

Karsen, the daughter he shares with his ex-wife, as well as a bereaved fan base, family, and wife-to-be, were all left behind by Liotta after he passed away.

He had a ring on his finger and was planning to marry Jacy Nittolo. However, it is not clear if the couple had set a date for their wedding, which was announced on social media around Christmas 2020.