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Jennifer Lopez shares a loving tribute for Ray Liotta on social media.
The 52-year-old star took to Instagram to post a photo with him while making comments about how she learned from him while making their TV series Shades Of Blue from 2016 until 2018.
‘Ray was my partner in crime on Shades of Blue … the first thing that comes to mind is he was so kind to my children,’ the fiancée of Ben Affleck began her note.
Blue stars: Jennifer Lopez shares a loving tribute for Ray Liotta. The star took to Instagram to post a photo with him while making comments about how she learned from him while making their TV series Shades Of Blue. Seen in 2016
A TV star as well: He worked from 2016 until 2018 on the NYPD cop show Shades Of Blue with Jennifer Lopez, Right, seen in an embrace in 2016
And then she said he was really a softie.
‘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.’
They worked closely together.
‘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.
Crime connection: ‘Ray was my partner in crime on Shades of Blue … the first thing that comes to mind is he was so kind to my children,’ the fiancée of Ben Affleck began her note
‘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.’
And she feels a legend left too soon.
‘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.’
Lopez cast Ray in her cop TV series Shades Of Blue as she was one of the top producers.
The series aired from 2016 until 2018.
On set: And then she said he was really a softie. ‘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’
Lopez played New York detective Harlee Santos, a single mother who works with a group of dirty cops.
She takes her cut of the bribes and protection money to give her daughter as she wants her to have a good life.
But then she is caught by the FBI, which forces her to turn informant on her cop family.
Harlee struggles with being a rat.
Another close friend also said goodbye. Lorraine Bracco revealed she is ‘utterly shattered’ following the shock death of her Goodfellas co-star Liotta on Thursday.
NY scene: They worked closely together. ‘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’
Promoting their show: Liotta, from left, Lopez, and Jack Orman speak at the NBC’s Shades of Blue in 2017
The actor – who was best known for the Martin Scorsese movie – died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film Dangerous Waters, his reps confirmed. Deadline was the first to report the news.
Soon after news broke, tributes rolled in for the New Jersey native.
Bracco, who played his wife in the hit 1990 mobster 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.’
And another Goodfellas co-star, Robert De Niro, also paid his respects in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: ‘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.’
Sad loss: Liotta passed away at the age of 67 this week. And soon after tributes from stars flooded into social media. Seen in 2021
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
A sad farewell on social media: Bracco also shared an image with the actor at a Hollywood event in 2012
They made movie history together: And another Goodfellas co-star, Robert De Niro, also paid his respects: ‘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’
Jennifer Love Hewitt, who acted with Liotta on the 2001 film Heartbreakers, shared a sweet tribute as she said, ‘I’m heart broken. I loved the time we spent and memories we made. You will be so missed.’
The actress shared a broken heart emoji and a photo of a dove with an olive branch.
Alessandra Nivola – who recently worked with Liotta on The Many Saints Of Newark (Liotta played two roles: Hollywood Dick Moltisanti, and his brother Salvatore Moltisanti) – wrote: ‘RIP Ray Liotta. I feel so lucky to have squared off against this legend in one of his final roles. The scenes we did together were among the all time highlights of my acting career.
‘He was dangerous, unpredictable, hilarious, and generous with his praise for other actors. Too soon.’
David Chase, who was the writer on The Many Saints Of Newark, added in a statement to Deadline, ‘This is a massive, unexpected shock. I have been an admirer of Ray’s work since I saw him in Something Wild, a movie he wrenched by the tail.
‘I was so glad he worked on The Many Saints Of Newark.
‘I believed strongly in my heart that he could play that double role. He created two distinctly separate characters and each performance was phenomenal. Ray was also a very warm and humorous person. A really superior actor. We all felt we lucked out having him on that movie.’
Jamie Lee Curtis, who worked with Ray on 1988’s Dominick And Eugene, said, ‘His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear.’
And Viola Davis shared, ‘RIP Ray Liotta!! Loved your work (heart emoji).’
Former costars: Jennifer Love Hewitt, who worked with Liotta on the 2001 film Heartbreakers, shared a sweet tribute as she said, ‘I’m heart broken. I loved the time we spent and memories we made. You will be so missed.’ The actress shared a broken heart emoji and a photo of a dove with an olive branch
They worked together: Alessandra Nivola wrote: ‘RIP Ray Liotta. I feel so lucky to have squared off against this legend in one of his final roles. The scenes we did together were among the all time highlights of my acting career’; seen in The Many Saints Of Newark
Josh Brolin shared a black and white photo of the star as he wrote: ‘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 in the comments section: ‘Oh man what an immense actor he was ♥️.’
And actor 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…’
Hard to hear about: Jamie Lee Curtis said, ‘His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear’; they worked together on Dominick And Eugene in 1988
Too soon: Josh Brolin shared a black and white photo of the star as he wrote: ‘My buddy. My friend. How so soon? Why? I’ll miss you’
Seth’s words: Seth Rogen also took to social media to pay his respects. ‘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.’ Seth and Ray co-starred in the 2009 movie Observe And Report
Kristin Chenoweth tweeted: ‘RIP GOODFELLA Ray Liotta. I adored you. I love knowing you all those years ago.’
Jesse Tyler Ferguson worked with Liotta when the actor guest-starred in a 2016 episode of Modern Family.
‘He was one of the greatest actors of our generation,’ Ferguson told Deadline. ‘The day he was on Modern Family was such a special day. We were really lucky to get a lot of great guest stars, and every once in a while there would be one of his stature that would come in a play with us for the day, and it made us feel so special that they wanted to take the time to come and be with us.
‘He was a movie star, a huge movie star, and I’m just so grateful that he left behind such a beautiful body of work, because that is all we can hope to do with our time on this earth – leave behind something for people to remember us by. And he certainly left a wealth of beautiful performances for us to remember him by.’
Seth Rogen also took to social media to pay his respects.
‘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.’
He took time for this: Recluse Rob Kardashian of Keeping Up With The Kardashians shared a post for Liotta
Seth and Ray co-starred in the 2009 movie Observe And Report.
Charlie Day, who worked with Liotta on his untitled directorial debut, told The Hollywood Reporter, ‘I’m devastated to hear of Ray’s passing. He was fantastic to work with and gave a great performance that I am sorry he never got to see. I was a long time fan and getting to work with him was everything I hoped it would be. My thoughts go out to his family.’
Taron Egerton, who stars in the upcoming Apple TV series In With The Devil alongside Liotta, wrote on Instagram: ‘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.’
Devon Sawa added, ‘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.’
Rosanna Arquette shared: ‘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.’
They go way back: Kristin Chenoweth tweeted: ‘RIP GOODFELLA Ray Liotta. I adored you. I love knowing you all those years ago’
He was loved: And Viola Davis shared, ‘RIP Ray Liotta!! Loved your work (heart emoji)’
Peace: Rosanna Arquette shared: ‘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’
Melissa Gilbert posted a note from her husband Timothy Busfield who shared a behind-the-scenes story from their 1989 film Field Of Dreams.
‘In the iconic moment in Field of Dreams when Ray Liotta‘s character says to Kevin Costner’s, “is this heaven?” And Kevin‘s response is, “ no it’s Iowa.”, a fog had settled into the outfield, which was perfect for that moment, but Ray had been wrapped for the day.
‘John Lindley and Director Phil Robinson decided to shoot that scene then, against that majestic and mysterious fog bank. It was before cell phones. So they sent production assistants to scour the bars of Debuque to bring him back.
‘They found him and he didn’t say no, I’m off work. He drove the 45 minutes back to Dyersville, changed back into his uniform, and played the scene. Perfectly. He had great great game. In all his movies. He was a sweet man. RIP my brother. You’ll be missed.’
It stings: Devon Sawa added, ‘I try not to do the RIPs but Ray Liotta was truly one of my favorites to watch’
Jeffrey Wright posted: ‘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.’
Cary Elwes noted: ‘Very sad to hear the news this morning about the passing of #RayLiotta. An extraordinary talent whose remarkable performances left an indelible mark on the screen. Our deepest condolences to his family. RIP Ray.’
Lou Diamond Phillips tweeted, ‘Absolutely stunned at the passing of Ray Liotta. I never had the privilege of working with him but his reputation as one of the good guys was well known. A tragic loss. #RIPRayLiotta.’
Producer Gale Anne Hurd tweeted, ‘#RIP #RayLiotta We collaborated on #MartinCampbell’s #NoEscape, which is worth checking out for his terrific performance as a thoroughly engaging action star. He’s gone way too soon.’
He leaves behind his fiancé Jacy Nittolo as well as his daughter Karsen, 23, with ex-wife Michelle Grace.
Liotta’s sudden death shocked fans as he embarked on a huge resurgence in recent years, staring alongside up and coming thespians such as Taron Egerton.
Prayers for Ray: Cary Elwes noted: ‘Very sad to hear the news this morning about the passing of #RayLiotta. An extraordinary talent whose remarkable performances left an indelible mark on the screen. Our deepest condolences to his family. RIP Ray’
Hard to take: Jeffrey Wright posted: ‘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’
They were pals: James Mangold said that he was saddened by the bad news
But he was perhaps best known for his incredible performance in Scorsese’s 1990 classic Goodfellas, where he played Henry Hill while Robert De Niro took on the role of Jimmy Conway.
His other roles include Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1989′s Field of Dreams, Ray Sinclair in Something Wild (1986).
And he was in Unlawful Entry (1992), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001), Blow (2001), John Q (2002), Identity (2003), Observe and Report (2009), Killing Them Softly (2012), and The Place Beyond the Pines (2012).
And he worked from 2016 until 2018 on the NYPD cop show Shades Of Blue with Drea de Matteo and Jennifer Lopez.
A note from London: TV personality Piers Morgan called Ray a ‘brilliant’ actor and shared an image from Goodfellas
Hit maker: The star was best known for the Martin Scorsese movie Goodfellas
In recent years his career heated up again.
He was in The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story and No Sudden Move back to back.
The star told People he felt the change: ‘It’s weird how this business works, because I’ve definitely had a career that’s up and down. For some reason, I’ve been busier this year than I have in all the years that I’ve been doing this. And I still feel I’m not there yet. I just think there’s a lot more.’
Ray – who was was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1954 – was abandoned at an orphanage before he was adopted at six-months-old by Marty and Alfred Liotta.
Liotta was filming on location in the Dominican Republic for an upcoming thriller, Dangerous Waters.
The feature film co-starred Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane, alongside Odeya Rush and Saffron Burrows.
Their casting was announced just a few weeks back, at the beginning of May.
His widow: He leaves behind his fiancé Jacy Nittolo (pictured) as well as his daughter Karsen
Dangerous Waters, from Signature Films, which is directed by John Barr and written by Mark Jackson, was in the midst of shooting when the actor passed away unexpectedly.
The film centers on an out of control sailing vacation that goes off the rails when a teenage girl discovers ‘the dark past of her mother’s new boyfriend,’ according to the synopsis.
Producers were said to have been pitching the project at this month’s Cannes Film Festival to potential buyers, Deadline reported.
The producers of Dangerous Waters told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement, ‘We were deeply saddened to learn of Ray’s passing, it’s a tremendous loss and our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, fiancé Jacy and daughter Karsen.’
Dangerous Waters was just one of many projects currently on the docket for Liotta at the time of his shocking death.
The actor can be seen in the upcoming television drama Black Bird and recently completed two films, Cocaine Bear and El Tonto.
In addition to Dangerous Waters, Ray had two other films in production: April 29, 1992 and The Substance.
FROM ORPHAN TO MOVIE STAR: THE REAL RAY LIOTTA
Liotta was born in New Jersey in 1954 but was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage before being adopted six months later.
He was the adopted son of a town clerk and auto-parts shop owner, who insisted he never contemplated acting while growing up in Newark.
After graduating he moved to New York City and worked as a barman until he was cast in soap opera Another World in 1980.
Liotta found fame playing ex-con Ray Sinclair in 1986 black comedy Something Wild, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
He went on to star as Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film Field Of Dreams and is best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in Goodfellas opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci and directed by Martin Scorsese.
Yet the actor appeared to shy away from his fame in the 1990s and kept a low profile but made a resurgence in more recent years.
In 2021 Liotta starred in the Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints Of Newark, after turning down a role in the original film.
He recently finished filming Cocaine Bear, a film directed by Elizabeth Banks which is scheduled to be released in February next year.
The New Jersey-born actor was also reportedly due to star in The Substance alongside Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.
In addition to his acting roles, Liotta was also the narrator of documentary series The Making Of The Mob, and starred in a number of music videos including for David Guetta’s song Lovers On The Sun.
Liotta leaves behind his daughter Karsen, whom he shares with his ex-wife Michelle Grace, and his fiancée Nittolo.
Liotta was born in New Jersey in 1954 but was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage before being adopted six months later. He was the adopted son of a town clerk and auto-parts shop owner, who insisted he never contemplated acting while growing up in Newark. After graduating he moved to New York City and worked as a barman until he was cast in soap opera Another World in 1980
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