Goodfellas star Ray Liotta has died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic at the age of 67 – where he had been filming a new movie.
The legendary gangster actor passed away on the Caribbean island halfway through recording Dangerous Waters, about a sailing holiday spiraling out of control.
It is not yet clear what he died of or when but there is understood to be no suspicion of foul play. He leaves behind his fiance Jacy Nittolo, 46, as well as his daughter Karsen, 23, who he had with ex-wife Michelle Grace.
Liotta had been spotted out and about in LA in March where onlookers said he appeared ‘noticeably pale’ and ‘needed help from the valet putting on his jacket’.
The source added he was ‘slow and steady on his feet’ and Nittolo had to help him by carrying all his bags from the car to the hotel.
Tributes flooded in for the beloved film star, with fellow actors, celebrities and politicians all paying their respects to him on Thursday afternoon.
His on-screen wife in Goodfellas Lorraine Bracco said she was ‘utterly shattered’, Josh Brolin posted ‘I always looked up to you’ and Seth Rogan remembered a ‘true legend of immense skill and grace’.
Liotta’s sudden death shocked fans as he was embarking on a huge resurgence in his career recent years, with him staring alongside Taron Egerton in Black Bird later this year.
He also featured in The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story and No Sudden Move in more recent years as his acting took off again.
But he was best known for his incredible performance in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 gangster classic Goodfellas, where he played Henry Hill while Robert De Niro took on the role of Jimmy Conway.
Goodfellas star Ray Liotta (left, earlier this month and right, in April) has died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic aged 67 where he was filming Dangerous Waters
He was perhaps best known for his incredible performance in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 classic Goodfellas, where he played Henry Hill while Robert De Niro took on the role of Jimmy Conway
It is not yet clear what he died of or when but he has left behind his fiance Jacy Nittolo (pictured) as well as his daughter Karsen
The actor appeared to shy away from his fame in the 1990s and kept a low profile but a resurgence in more recent years. Pictured: Goodfellas
Deadline reported the star passed away in his sleep but did not say when or how but TMZ claimed there was no foul play suspected.
A spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s General Direction of Cinema said: ‘We understand that he was accompanied by his wife and that the wife asks that you please respect her grief.’
Nittolo, a mother of four who he got engaged to in December 2020, was said to be with the film star while Dangerous Waters was being recorded.
A source who saw the actor in March told DailyMail.com: ‘Ray looked slow and unsteady on his feet. He was noticeably pale and needed help from the valet putting on his jacket. His fiancée was carrying all the bags to help him out.’
The actor most recently spoke on social media in an Instagram post three weeks ago where he plugged his new movie Cocaine Bear.
He wrote: ‘Cocaine Bear follows an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of the white powder and goes on a coke-fueled rampage seeking more blow — and blood.’
Liotta was born in New Jersey in 1954 but was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage before being adopted six months later.
He stayed in the state but later moved to New York and then Los Angeles as he followed his dream of acting when he hit adulthood.
The rising star first appeared in The Lonely Lady in 1983 but became better known through the movie Something Wild three years later.
Such was his success in the role he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor prize at the Golden Globes that year.
But Liotta rocketed to stardom and became a household name across the globe for Goodfellas, in which he played a crook called Henry Hill who got in with the Italian-American mafia.
Yet the actor appeared to shy away from his fame in the 1990s and kept a low profile but a resurgence in more recent years.
Goodfellas star Ray Liotta has died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic at the age of 67 – where he had been filming a new movie. Pictured: The actor in LA at the end of March
The legendary gangster actor (pictured in LA at the end f March) passed away on the Caribbean island halfway through recording Dangerous Waters, about a sailing holiday spiraling out of control
It is not yet clear what he died of or when but there is understood to be no suspicion of foul play. He leaves behind his fiance Jacy Nittolo, 46, as well as his daughter Karsen, 23, who he had with ex-wife Michelle Grace
Liotta had been spotted out and about in LA in March where onlookers said he appeared ‘noticeably pale’ and ‘needed help from the valet putting on his jacket’
The source added he was ‘slow and steady on his feet’ and Nittolo had to help him by carrying all his bags from the car to the hotel
A source who saw the actor in March told DailyMail.com: ‘Ray looked slow and unsteady on his feet. He was noticeably pale and needed help from the valet putting on his jacket. His fiancée was carrying all the bags to help him out’
The actor most recently spoke on social media in an Instagram post three weeks ago where he plugged his new movie Cocaine Bear
Liotta was born in New Jersey in 1954 but was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage before being adopted six months later. He is pictured with Nittolo in March
The actor, who starred in more than 80 films, revealed more about his upbringing in an interview with Esquire in 2016.
He said: ‘I’m adopted so I don’t really know what I am. Who I consider my mother and father are Italian and Scottish.
‘I did find my birth mother and she said she was a mix of something, and when I asked about what my Dad was she wouldn’t even talk about it. It was like it never even happened.’
He added: ‘If I hadn’t have become an actor I’d have gone into construction. I always thought I would be doing construction. Those were jobs I had during the summer. My Dad also had a chain of automotive stores.
‘I didn’t know until after I graduated college that he wanted me to take over the business. When he saw that I was interested in something else, he said ‘well, I’m sick of doing this’ and moved in politics.
‘But I never knew that he wanted me to take over. It was in his mind, but I hated it. To this day I hate the smell of rubber.’
Tributes flooded in for the beloved star on Friday afternoon, with Devon Sawa saying: ‘I try not to do the RIPs but Ray Liotta was truly one of my favorites to watch.
‘He just has this magnetic draw to his performances, which is part of the reason Goddfellas remains tied with Aliens as my favorite film(s) ever made. This one stung more than usual.’
Liotta (pictured in December with his acting teacher) also featured in The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story and No Sudden Move in more recent years
Liotta (pictured with Frankie Avalon in February) rocketed to stardom and became a household name across the globe for Goodfellas, in which he played a crook called Henry Hill who got in with the Italian-American mafia
Liotta (pictured in October) was born in New Jersey in 1954 but was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage before being adopted six months later
Ray Liotta is pictured with his daughter Karsen at the World Premiere of ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ on March 11, 2014, in Los Angeles
Left: Liotta is pictured with his then wife and producer Michelle Grace. Right: The actor is seen with her in New York in 2002
Goodfellas costar Lorraine Bracco, who was his wife in the movie, said: ‘His Goodfellas costar Lorraine Bracco, who played his wife in the hit 1990 movie, said: ‘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.’
Josh Brolin said: ‘My buddy. My friend. How so soon? Why? I’ll miss you. I will think about seeing you at Gold’s often, talking about what to do next, how to find something together.
‘I always looked up to you — the work was always so good, but the man you were always stood out among the rest of them. Yes, I will miss you, pal. Until we meet again, wherever they say that is.’
Helena Christensen wrote: ‘Oh man what an immense actor he was ♥️.’ Joe Pantoliano said: ‘WHAT!!!! No! Omg! I was watering the lawn this morning and I was thinking about Ray he popped into my head. Oh No! RIP RAY RAY…’
Viola Davis said: ‘RIP Ray Liotta. Loved your work.’ Jamie Lee Curtis posted: ‘His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear.’
Rosanna Arquette wrote: ‘I’m really sad to hear that Ray Liotta has passed away. He was an friend back in the day and it’s very sad. We had a lot of laughs Rest In Peace My friend.’
Jeffrey Wright said: ‘Ray Liotta. Man. Just met dude for the first time last year. GREAT actor. Nice to have had a chance to say that to him. RIP.’
Mangold put: ‘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.’
Her tribute: His Goodfellas costar Lorraine Bracco, who played his wife in the hit 1990 movie, said: ‘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’; seen left in Goodfellas and right in 2012
