What can be said about Hollywood star Ray Liotta?
One of the premiere talents of his day, Liotta first broke onto the scene in the mid-1980s with his role as Ray Sinclair in Something Wild (1986) alongside Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith. His career started off hot, as this role landed him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Melanie Griffith as Audrey Hankel and Ray Liotta as Ray Sinclair in the 1986 action-comedy film Something Wild (Credit: Orion Pictures)
Liotta continued to gain popularity with iconic roles in films like Field of Dreams (1989), Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990), and Copland (1997).
After his mainstream peak in the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, Liotta continued his career by acting in a variety of thriller, drama, and action films. He never reached his peak of popularity again, and unfortunately, Ray Liotta passed away at the age of 67 on May 26, 2022.
How Did Ray Liotta Die?
The cause of Ray Liotta’s death has been debated. What is known is that the actor died in his sleep in a hotel room while filming the movie Dangerous Waters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Ray Liotta attending the 22nd Annual Newport Beach Film Festival Presents Festival Honors & Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch event held at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort in Newport Beach, California on October 24, 2021 (Credit: Abby Grant / Cover Images)
Some speculate that Liotta may have passed away due to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), which can oftentimes go undiagnosed.
However, it is also known that Liotta was a long-time user of drugs and alcohol, which may have contributed to his untimely death.
At this time, these causes are all speculatory. The truth is that the official reason for Liotta’s death has not been made public.
Ray Liotta’s Last 5 Movies Before His Death
Since Liotta’s death was so untimely, he was still a working actor by the time he passed away and was even filming the movie Dangerous Waters when he died (the movie is still unreleased).
Let’s take a look at the last films that Ray Liotta has appeared in, some of which were released posthumously.
5. Hubie Halloween (2020)
Co-penned and starring comedian Adam Sandler, Hubie Halloween sees Sandler playing a deli shop worker named Hubie, who acts as the butt-of-the-joke for his town of Salem, Massachusetts.
Hubie spends his Halloween monitoring the town for any mischief, but he gets thrust into helping save the town from a serial kidnapper.
Promotional art for the 2020 mystery horror comedy film Hubie Halloween (Credit: Netflix)
In this film, Liotta plays the role of Pete Landolfa, one of the residents of the town who is particularly aggressive toward Hubie. Landolfa eventually relies on Hubie’s help, as he is one of the many victims of the kidnapper in Salem.
The film received mixed reviews, with a critics’ score of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 47% audience score on the popular aggregate review website.
4. No Sudden Move (2021)
Now this is a film that we can see Ray Liotta being in!
No Sudden Move is a Steven Soderbergh-directed neo-noir gangster film starring Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro. Set in the 1950s in Detroit, Cheadle plays the role of Curt Goynes, a gangster who finds himself in a setup involving a blackmail scheme, automobile manufacturers (it is the Motor City after all), and mob leaders.
Ray Liotta as Frank Capelli in the 2021 neo-noir period crime thriller film No Sudden Move (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Liotta plays the role of Frank Capelli, a mob leader who contracts Goynes to be involved in the blackmail scheme.
In classic Soderbergh style, this thriller is filled with twists and turns, and it features an ensemble cast including Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Brendan Fraser, Julia Fox, and Kieran Culkin.
The film received positive reviews, and it currently boasts of a 92% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, although audiences didn’t seem to appreciate it as much, with a 59% audience score.
3. The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Acting as a film prequel to the wildly popular HBO drama series The Sopranos, The Many Saints of Newark takes place in the late 1960s, during the 1967 Newark Riots.
The film stars Alessandro Nivoli as Dickie Moltisanti and Leslie Odom Jr. as Harold McBrayer. Michael Gandolfini takes over as Tony Soprano, taking the mantle from his father, who portrayed the character in the original series.
Ray Liotta plays the dual role of Dick and Salvatore Moltisanti, twin brothers of Dickie Moltisanti, the protagonist of the film.
Joey Diaz, Ray Liotta, and John Borras in the 2021 crime drama film The Many Saints of Newark (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Despite the connection with his father, Michael Gandolfini still had to audition for his role in the film, although his performance eventually won over the casting directors.
Funnily enough, Liotta was offered a role in the third and fourth seasons of The Sopranos, but due to scheduling, the plan never materialized. At least he got to be involved with the series by starring in its prequel film.
The Many Saints of Newark performed poorly at the box office, only recouping $13.1 million of its $50 million budget. However, it did prove to be a hit on HBO Max and helped to renew interest in the original series.
2. Cocaine Bear (2022)
A comedy film directed by Elizabeth Banks, Cocaine Bear delivers on its title: It’s a movie about a wild black bear that ingests a ton of misplaced cocaine and subsequently goes on a rampage against the gangsters who try to get it back.
O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Ayoola Smart, and Ray Liotta in the 2023 horror comedy film Cocaine Bear (Credit: Universal Pictures)
The film stars Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, and O’Shea Jackson Jr. It features Ray Liotta as Syd White, a mobster kingpin whose cocaine distribution business is affected by the missing cocaine. Syd hires more mobsters to find the cocaine before being forced to retrieve it himself from the vicious bear.
Its story is derived from a true 1985 account of an American black bear that died after ingesting 75 pounds of missing cocaine.
As of the publishing of this article, this is the last film released to feature Ray Liotta. The film was a posthumous release and was dedicated to the late actor.
1. Fool’s Paradise (2023)
Although this film hasn’t been officially released yet, it’s set to hit theaters on May 12, 2023, so we figured we should add it to the list.
Penned and directed by comedian Charlie Day (of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame), Fool’s Paradise began production all the way back in October 2018 before undergoing reshoots in December 2021.
Charlie Day as Latte Pronto in the 2023 satirical comedy film Fool’s Paradise (Credit: Roadside Attractions)
The film stars Ray Liotta, a publicist who runs into a golden opportunity when a mute mental patient is released from a confined facility. Why is that an opportunity, you ask? Well, it just so happens that this patient looks exactly like a method actor who refuses to leave his trailer (Latte Pronto, played by Charlie Day).
As we said, the film hasn’t been released yet, but the trailer makes it look like an absolute romp!
More Ray Liotta Films Set for Release
Fool’s Paradise is the next Ray Liotta film set for release in theaters, but it isn’t the only one!
Ray Liotta left an indelible mark in the entertainment industry, and it looks like there are still more of his projects to be released posthumously, ensuring that we won’t forget about him or his legacy (Credit: Collin Xavier / Abaca / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
The Substance, directed by Coralie Fargreat, is a horror film that sees Ray Liotta star alongside Demi Moore.
Dangerous Waters, the film that Liotta was working on when he died, is also set for release at some point in the future.