Hollywood is mourning the shocking death of one of its most celebrated actors, Ray Liotta.
The actor, known for movies such as the 1990 mob classic Goodfellas and the iconic 1989 baseball film Field of Dreams, died at age 67 on May 26, his publicist confirmed. Liotta passed away in his sleep while in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming the movie Dangerous Waters. No foul play is suspected.
Liotta was working on several projects at the time of his death. Several months ago, he finished shooting the upcoming Apple TV+ crime series Black Bird.
The Emmy-winning actor is survived by his fiancée Jacy Nittolo and his daughter Karsen, whose mother is his ex-wife Michelle Grace.
Following Liotta's passing, many celebs, including Jennifer Lopez, Robert De Niro, Seth Rogen, Jamie Lee Curtis and other past co-stars, as well as celeb fans such as Viola Davis, shared touching tributes to the actor.
Read their words below:
The star appeared with Liotta in the NBC cop series Shades of Blue, which aired between 2016 and 2018. She wrote on Instagram, "Ray was my partner in crime on Shades of Blue … the first thing that comes to mind is he so was kind to my children. Ray was the epitome of a tough guy who was all mushy on the inside … I guess that's what made him such a compelling actor to watch. The original Goodfella."
She continued, "We shared some intense moments on set those three years! When I first heard he took the job on Shades of Blue, I was thrilled, and the first time we walked on set to do our first scene together there was an electric spark and a mutual respect and we both knew this was going to be good. We enjoyed doing our scenes together and I felt lucky to have him there to work with and learn from. Like all artists he was complicated, sincere, honest and so very emotional."
"Like a raw nerve, he was so accessible and so in touch in his acting and I will always remember our time together fondly," J.Lo wrote. "We lost a great today … RIP RAY … it's so sad to lose you what seems way to soon … I will remember you always. Sending so much love and strength to your daughter Karsen, your family and all your loved ones."
The actor, Liotta's co-star in Goodfellas, said in a statement, "God is a Goodfella and so is Ray."
The actor, Liotta's co-star in Goodfellas, said in a statement, "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."
The actress, who played Liotta's wife n the 1990 film Goodfellas, tweeted a photo of herself with the late star at a 2012 celebration for the movie's director, Martin Scorsese.
"I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray," she wrote. "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."
The actress starred with Liotta in the 1988 movie Dominick and Eugene. She wrote on Instagram, "Ray Liotta has died. What a gentle human. His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human. A beautiful artist. We made the lovely film, Dominic and Eugene in 1986. Sad news."
Liotta's co-star in Black Bird wrote on Instagram, "I stepped on the set of Black Bird in May of last year deeply excited that I would be working with Ray Liotta and even more excited that he would be playing my father. He was keeping himself to himself. Protecting his energy and his performance. I didn't know how to approach him as I didn't want to intrude."
Egerton continued, "He caught my eye and walked over to me and hugged me without saying a word. It was a long hug. But not uncomfortable. We only spoke to each other in character for that first day. I took my lead from him. I think he wanted us to be a father and son before we were colleagues. What ensued was a profound experience for me as an actor; I have never felt such an easy, warm connection with another performer. He was so generous. If I went one way he followed me. Always dancing. Always listening. Never self-generated."
"I am extraordinarily proud of my next project," Egerton added. "It was hard work and I was blessed to have a number of incredible scene partners, but I will always be most proud of my scenes with Ray; the relationship we built felt real in some strange way. When I first saw our show I text him telling him that I felt his performance was beautiful and that I was very proud of our work. His response was: 'You made it easy to love my son.' Ray, the feeling was so, so mutual. I will miss you."
Liotta's co-star in the 2009 comedy film Observe and Report tweeted, "I can't believe Ray Liotta has passed away. He was such a lovely, talented and hilarious person. Working with him was one of the great joys of my career and we made some of my favorite scenes I ever got to be in. A true legend of immense skill and grace."
The actress tweeted, "RIP Ray Liotta!! Loved your work."
The star tweeted, "Wow! This truly sucks… RIP Goodfella."