Ray Liotta(1954-2022)

Intense was the word for Ray Liotta. He specialized in psychopathic characters who hide behind a cultivated charm. Even in his nice-guy roles in Jusqu'au bout du rêve (1989) and Operation Dumbo Drop (1995), you get the impression that something is smoldering inside of him. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and was adopted by Mary (Edgar), a township clerk, and Alfred Liotta, an auto parts store owner. He studied acting at the University of Miami, where he became friends with Steven Bauer (Scarface (1983), Voleur de désirs (1984)). He spent his first years acting in TV: Un autre monde (1964), a TV movie and several short-lived series. He broke into movies with the black comedy Dangereuse sous tous rapports (1986), which garnered him rave reviews. Originally unable to get a reading, he was recommended for the part by Melanie Griffith (then married to Bauer).

Following the success Dangereuse sous tous rapports (1986), he received more offers in the "psycho" vein, but refused them to avoid being typecast. Instead, he made "little movies" like Nicky et Gino (1988), which earned him standing as an actor's actor, and Jusqu'au bout du rêve (1989), whose success always surprised him. When he heard Martin Scorsese was casting Les Affranchis (1990), he lobbied hard for the part of Henry Hill. The film's huge success brought him wide popularity and garnered him star billing in future films such as Article 99 (1992), Obsession fatale (1992), and Mémoires suspectes (1996).

Liotta died on May 26, 2022, aged 67, in his sleep while filming on location in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.