The best (and worst) roles Ray Liotta ever played
American actor Ray Liotta, known for starring the 1990 Martin Scorcese movie 'Goodfellas' has passed away at age 67. However, his legacy lives on.
'Deadline' has reported that the actor passed away during his sleep while shooting the movie 'Dangerous Waters' in the Dominican Republic.
Liotta leaves behind quite a career in cinema and television, with a filmography that made him a Hollywood icon. These are the very best and the very worst roles Ray Liotta had throughout his life.
An indisputable classic of the gangster film, this Martin Scorsese picture follows the story of three mobsters over the span of three decades. Ray Liotta played Henry Hill, sharing the screen with two icons like Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro.
In this Nick Cassavetes movie, Denzel Washington is a desperate father who takes a hospital hostage to ensure his son gets a heart transplant. Here, Ray Liotta plays Police Chief Gus Monroe, who antagonizes the desperate father.
In this classic from the 1980s, Kevin Costner is a farmer who decides to build a baseball field in a cornfield after having an epiphany. This attracts the spirits of legendary baseball players from beyond the grave, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, played by Ray Liotta.
Ray Liotta also had a pretty memorable dinner with a certain Dr. Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, in this 2001 movie.
Ray Liotta shared the screen with John Cusack, Alfred Molina, and Amanda Peet in this psychological thriller about 10 strangers stuck in a hotel, who mysteriously die one by one.
Jay Moratta (Ray Liotta) is the sleazy divorce lawyer who convinces Adam Driver to go after his wife, Scarlett Johansson, in this Noah Baumbach-directed family drama.
The Italian-American performer shared the screen with Jennifer Lopez in 36 episodes of this TV show, where he played Lieutenant Matt Wozniak.
This wasn't Liotta's only foray into television, but certainly the most memorable. For instance, did you know he played the school principal in one episode of Miley Cyrus's Disney sitcom?
There's little doubt that gangster films defined Ray Liotta's career, from which 'Cop Land' is an underrated gem with an all-star cast, including Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Rappaport, Annabella Sciorra, and Noah Emmerich.
And of course, in one of his rare video game performances, Ray Liotta voiced mobster Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist of one of the most memorable video game franchises of the 2000's.
Not many people remember that Ray Liotta played Johnny Depp's dad in the 2001 movie 'Blow'. There, he's a retired small business owner whose quiet life is quite a contrast to his son, responsible for carrying merchandise for the Medellín cartel into the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ray Liotta was also part of this Guy Ritchie movie, along with Jason Statham. No doubt a pass-the-torch moment for the 'Goodfellas' actor.
One of Liotta's breakthrough roles was in this 1986 movie where he played a dangerous, unstable ex-convict that causes a rift in the relationship of a couple played by Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels.
Ray Liotta became Frank Sinatra in this made-for-TV movie focused on the adventures of the mythical group of singers and actors, which included Joe Mantegna playing Dean Martin and Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis Jr.
A very 1990s science fiction action movie that, despite breaking even at the box office, has garnered something of a cult following. Liotta plays Robbins, a former marine sent to the island prison of Absalom, where only the most brutal inmates can survive.
What is true is that Ray Liotta was not afraid to take on all sorts of roles. In this 1995 war film, he plays an American captain in the Vietnam War who tries to transport an elephant with a helicopter.
Liotta plays a police officer in this 1992 psychological thriller where, after aiding a couple during a break-in, becomes obsessed with the wife (Madeleine Stowe), putting him at odds with the husband (Kurt Russell).
One of the last roles of the Italian-American actor was in 'The Sopranos' prequel, where he played a double role as the Moltisanti twins. Of course, his send-off had to be a gangster movie.