Goodfellas Star Ray Liotta Dies Aged 67
Topics: Celebrity
Aisha Nozari
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Ray Liotta has died aged 67.
The iconic Goodfellas actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic where he was filming Dangerous Waters.
He leaves behind his daughter, Karsen, and fiancee Jacy Nittolo, who he got engaged to in 2020.
Deadline first reported the news of Liotta’s passing on Thursday, 26 May.
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The star was born in New Jersey in 1954 and was abandoned at an orphanage before being adopted by Mary and Alfred Liotta when he was six months old.
In the 2000s, Liotta hired a private investigator to learn more about his biological mother and discovered he is of Scottish descent and has one biological sister alongside one biological half-brother and five biological half-sisters.
After college, Liotta moved to New York where he worked as a bartender before beginning to pick up acting work.
Liotta’s prestigious career began with his role as a crazy ex in 1986’s Something Wild but he will likely be best remembered for his leading role in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 crime classic Goodfellas.
More recent work included roles in The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story and No Sudden Move.
Liotta revealed in a December 2020 Instagram post that he and Nittolo were set to tie the knot.
He gushed at the time: “Christmas wishes do come true. I asked the love of my life to marry me, and thank God she said yes!”
Liotta was previously married to actress Michelle Grace from 1997 to 2004 and the two share daughter Karsen.
A source told PEOPLE magazine that foul play is not suspected in his death and Nittolo was with him when he died.
Despite being known for his tough-guy roles, Liotta told the outlet last year that he is ‘nothing’ like the characters he portrays on screen.
“I have never been in a fight at all, except for during sports, and that's just pushing and goofy kid stuff,” he said.
Liotta also spoke candidly about learning that he had been given up for adoption, saying: “At first, I didn't understand how a parent could give up a child.”
He added: "So I had that kind of energy of just being like, that's f****d up. And then when I finally met my birth mom in my forties, by then, I wasn't as angry about it. It's just another journey."
UNILAD has approached Liotta’s representative for comment.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677