After nearly a year, Ray Liotta's cause of death comes to light

A year after the departure of the beloved actor Ray Liotta, the cause of his death was officially released.

According to TMZ, the cause of death was "respiratory insufficiency, pulmonary edema (too much fluid on the lungs), and acute heart failure."

Veteran actor Ray Liotta passed away on May 26, 2022. He was in the Dominican Republic when it happened.

According to Deadline, Ray Liotta died in his sleep. Initially, only a few details were made public about his cause of death. The actor was only 67 years old.

Ray Liotta was shooting the film 'Dangerous Waters' in the Dominican Republic.

As reported by different media at the time (in 2021), Ray Liotta had gotten engaged to Jacy Nittolo. He passed away before they could tie the knot.

Ray Liotta has a daughter named Karsen, whose mother is actress Michelle Grace. Liotta was married to her from 1997 to 2004. Karsen has confirmed the death of her father.

Ray Liotta became a star as a result of his role in 'Goodfellas,' a classic directed by Martin Scorsese. It was the year 1990.

Before he worked with Scorsese he had already fought hard in the industry. By 1987, Liotta had gathered several minor award nominations. One of them was for his supporting role in 'Something Wild,' directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels.

Together with Tom Hulce (who would later play Mozart in 'Amadeus'), he starred in 'Dominick and Eugene' in 1988. It's a forgotten film in which Jamie Lee Curtis also appeared.

'Goodfellas' shot him to stardom, where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of John Travolta and Andie McDowell. Ray Liotta was, due to his temperament and physical appearance, an unorthodox heartthrob, often cast as the scoundrel.

Hollywood standards were never quite cut out for Ray Liotta, both in his choice of shirts (see image) and his general attitude.

After 'Goodfellas', Ray Liotta shot many films but rarely found a role to match that gangster in the Scorsese movie. Yet, his presence always animated the screen. He was splendid, for example, in 'Cop Land' alongside Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, and Sylvester Stallone.

In 1994, Ray Liotta played a guest role in the popular series 'ER,' where his character was at death's door and looks back upon his troubled life. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for this performance.

In 'Hannibal' (2001), the sequel to 'The Silence of the Lambs,' Liotta famously had his brains eaten by the cannibalistic villain.

In 'Marriage Story' (2019), Noah Baumbach's drama starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, Ray Liotta had a brief but masterful appearance.

Ray Liotta was born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 18, 1954. As he himself recounted on numerous occasions, he learned at the age of six that he had been adopted. His mother, Mary, was a secretary. His father, Albert, was a car salesman.

Ray Liotta studied acting at the University of Miami and began his career as a stage actor.

Over the years, Liotta would become an iconic TV and movie actor, even if the titles he played, didn't always match his talent. He is certainly missed in Hollywood.