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Ray Liotta Bio
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Ray Liotta
Raymond Julian Vicimarli (later changed to Ray Liotta) was born December 18, 1954 in Newark, New Jersey. He was adopted at the age of six months by Alfred Liotta and his wife Mary. Very involved in politics, both of Ray’s adopted parents ran for office but were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1973, Liotta graduated from Union High School, later to be inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1992. Liotta attended the University of Miami and studied acting while performing at the school’s prestigious Jerry Herman Ring Theatre.
Liotta’s first acting job was on the soap opera Another World. His character, Joey Perrini, was present from 1978 until 1981. Liotta then worked a multitude of bit parts in both film and television, including appearances on St. Elsewhere (1983) and three episodes on the quickly canceled Casablanca (1983) with Hector Elizondo. He found slightly more success with Our Family Honor (1985-86) playing honest cop Ed Santini, but this too was ultimately canceled.
Finally achieving some critical acclaim, Liotta co-starred in 1986’s Something Wild with Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels. Liotta won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor, and he (along with Griffith and Daniels) were all nominated for Golden Globes. Liotta’s next major film was Field of Dreams (1989) with Kevin Costner. While Liotta himself wasn’t recognized for his work, he had gotten on board with an Oscar Best Picture nominee, which can only help an actor’s career.
Liotta was no exception. Having benefited from being in a well received film, the next year he landed the role for which he is most often associated. Martin Scorsese cast Liotta as Henry Hill in his new biopic crime-drama Goodfellas (1990). While co-star Joe Pesci won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, Liotta was not even nominated, nor was he recognized by any other film circles. Also starring in the film were veteran gangster portrayers Robert De Niro and Paul Sorvino. Just like Field of Dreams, Goodfellas was nominated for Best Picture.
With Liotta’s Italian ancestry and his Jersey accent, he was an obvious choose for gangster films, but Liotta desired to show his comedic side as well. To that end, he appeared in the romantic comedy Corrina, Corrina (1994) with Whoopi Goldberg and Tina Majorino (of Napoleon Dynamite fame).
Throughout the rest of the 90s, Liotta worked steadily but many of his films were widely panned. The gem of this time period was probably the 1998 made for TV biopic The Rat Pack. Liotta played Frank Sinatra opposite Don Cheadle’s Sammy Davis Jr. and Joe Montegna’s Dean Martin. Liotta was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries.
In 2001, Liotta acted in Hannibal opposite Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore, as well as the Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Gene Hackman comedy Heartbreakers. He also had a memorable role in Blow with Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp. In 2002, Liotta played in Narc, for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. In this same year he also lent his voice to the videogame character Tommy Vercetti of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. In 2003, Liotta co-starred in the John Cusack thriller Identity, and the next year he earned a guest spot on the television doctor drama ER. This role would prove to garner him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Liotta continues to take successful roles in successful productions. In 2005 he acted in Guy Ritchie’s Revolver and in 2006’s Take the Lead. He is currently attempting to launch a new TV series entitled Smith, and has six films in post-production including Wild Hogs and Smokin’ Aces.
Liotta was married to fellow actress Michelle Grace from 1997 to 2004. They met on the set of The Rat Pack, and they have one daughter together named Karsen who was born in 1998.
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| Facts: |
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Ray Liotta - was a guest on Saturday Night Live |
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Ray Liotta - Appeared with Frankie Faison in Hannibal |
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Ray Liotta - Appeared with Giancarlo Giannini in Hannibal |
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Ray Liotta - Appeared with Francesca Neri in Hannibal |
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Ray Liotta - Appeared with Zeljko Ivanek in Hannibal |
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Ray Liotta - Appeared with Hazelle Goodman in Hannibal |
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Ray Liotta - Appeared with David Andrews in Hannibal |
Ray Liotta - Starre in 'Heartbreakers' with Jennifer Love Hewitt .
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Ray Liotta - Starred in 'Goodfellas' with Vincent Pastore .
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