RAY LIOTTA
Date of Birth: December 18, 1954
Adopted at six months of age, the Newark-born Ray Liotta was raised in Union, NJ.
A star athlete in high school, Liotta switched his field of interest to dramatics
at the University of Miami, where he excelled in student productions of A Streetcar
Named Desire, Cabaret and Death of a Salesman.
Moving to New York after graduation in 1978, Liotta began bartending and within six
months, landed the role of Joey Perrini in the daytime drama Another World, which he
played for three years before heading to the West Coast. Despite a good part in The
Lonely Lady (1983) and the recurring role of Sacha the bartender in the short-lived
TV revival of Casablanca (1983), Liotta was for the most part unsuccessful during his
first Tinseltown stay. He was about to pack it in and find some other line of work when
Melanie Griffiths recommended him for the part of her smarmy ex-con husband in Something
Wild (1986).
His performance received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination. Soon offers
began to pour in. However, most of the roles were to reprise his psycho portrayal so
Liotta refused them in order to avoid being typecast. Opting instead for smaller
movies, he appeared in Dominick & Eugene and Field of Dreams.
When he heard Martin Scorsese was casting GoodFellas, he lobbied hard for the part of
Henry Hill, a half Sicilian, half Irish Brooklyn kid "adopted" by gangsters and raised
as member of mob family. The Oscar-nominated film's success brought him wide popularity
and lead billing in future films (Article 99, Unlawful Entry, No Escape, Unforgettable).
For awhile, Liotta almost sank out of the public view, but a role in the highly anticipated Hannibal (2001) changed that and led him to starring roles in such films as Heartbreakers (2001) with Sigourney Weaver, Blow starring Johnny Depp, the comedies Wild Hogs with Tim Allen and Date Night with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey, and the crime drama Killing Them Softly (2012) alongside Brad Pitt.
In 2005, he won an Emmy for his guest appearance on the TV series ER.
Liotta, who resides in Los Angeles, has a child with his ex-wife, actress/producer Michelle Grace and maintains his role as a celebrity ambassador for Stand Up 2 Cancer, which raises funds for developments in cancer research.
Filmography:
Pawn (2013)
The Devil's in the Details (2012)
Yellow(2012)
The Place Beyond the Pines(2012)
The Iceman(2012)
Killing Them Softly(2012)
Breathless (I) (2012)
The Entitled (2011)
Ticket Out(2011)
The River Murders (2011)
All Things Fall Apart (2011)
The Son of No One(2011)
The Details(2011)
Charlie St. Cloud(2010)
Chasing 3000 (2010)
Date Night(2010)
Snowmen (2010)
Crazy on the Outside(2010)
Youth in Revolt(2010)
Crossing Over(2009)
Observe and Report(2009)
La Linea (2008)
Chasing 3000 (2008)
Hero Wanted (2008)
Battle in Seattle(2008)
Bee Movie (2007) (voice)
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale(2007)
Wild Hogs(2007)
Chasing 3000 (2007)
Smokin' Aces(2007)
Comeback Season (2006)
Local Color (2006)
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale(2006)
Chasing 3000 (2006)
Revolver(2006)
Slow Burn(2005)
Control(2004)
The Last Shot(2004)
Identity(2003)
Narc(2002)
John Q(2002)
Heartbreakers(2001)
Blow(2001)
Hannibal(2001)
A Rumor of Angels (2000)
Muppets From Space(1999)
Forever Mine (1999)
Pilgrim (1999)
Phoenix (1998)
Turbulence (1997)
Cop Land (1997)
Unforgettable (1996)
Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
Corrina, Corrina (1994)
No Escape (1994)
Unlawful Entry (1992)
Article 99 (1992)
Goodfellas(1990)
Field of Dreams(1989)
Dominick and Eugene (1988)
Arena Brains (1988)
Something Wild (1986)
The Lonely Lady (1983)