Raymond Allen Liotta, generally known as Ray Liotta, was born on December 18, 1954, in Newark, New Jersey. He was adopted by Alfred and Mary Liotta when he was just a few months old. The family later grew to include Liotta’s sister, Linda, who was also adopted. Liotta was a talented athlete, playing both basketball and soccer in high school.
After graduating from Union High School in 1973, Liotta went to the University of Miami, where he studied acting. Liotta moved to New York after college and was soon spotted by a casting agent. He got a part in a TV commercial, then found work as Joey Perrini on the daytime drama Another World. Liotta appeared on the show from 1978 to 1981.
After moving to California to try his luck in Hollywood, Liotta spent years struggling to find work. He landed a breakthrough role when he was cast as Melanie Griffith’s crazed ex-con husband in Something Wild (1986). The portrayal won him critical and popular acclaim, though he followed the performance with an entirely different role, as a medical student caring for his mentally challenged brother in the 1988 film Dominick and Eugene. The following year, Liotta received praise for his turn as baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson in the Kevin Costner box office hit Field of Dreams.
Liotta tackled what may be his most famous part in 1990’s Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese. He played infamous crime figure Henry Hill in the film, appearing opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Liotta took on other tough roles in such movies as Unlawful Entry (1992) and No Escape (1994).
Liotta died on May 26, 2022, aged 67, in his sleep while filming on location in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Below are some amazing photos of Ray Liotta when he was young in the 1970s and 1980s:
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