Ray Liotta, the intense actor from New Jersey best known for his turn as the hustler turned mob rat Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas, has died. He was 67.
According to his representative who confirmed the news, the actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic while shooting his latest film Dangerous Waters alongside Saffron Burrows.
Ray Liotta played real-life MLB star Shoeless Joe Jackson in “Field of Dreams,” opposite Kevin Costner in the seminal baseball film. The film also earned three Oscar nominations, including a best picture nod, and has gone down as one of the most beloved sports movies in history.
Kevin Costner went on social media to pay tribute to his Field of Dreams co-star Ray Liotta. The Oscar winner, who tried out for his Cal State Fullerton team and went on to star in several baseball-themed movies, recalled the scene when his Ray Kinsella pitches batting practice to Liotta’s Shoeless Joe Jackson.
“Field of Dreams” is one of my all-time favorite movies, and Ray Liotta was great in it. I was surprised to learn that he never watched the movie because his mother died right after he finished shooting, so the movie — emotionally — became associated with this dark place in his life.
R.I.P. Ray Liotta
“If You Build It, He Will Come” from Field of Dreams
Sources
- Kevin Costner On Ray Liotta’s Batting Practice As Shoeless Joe In ‘Field Of Dreams’: “God Gave Us That Stunt”
- Ray Liotta, Actor in ‘GoodFellas,’ Dies at 67
- Ray Liotta, star of Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, dies aged 67
- Ray Liotta, ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Field of Dreams’ Star, Dies at 67
- Kevin Costner: Ray Kinsella
