Ray Liotta dead: Goodfellas star dies, aged 67

Tributes have been paid to Goodfellas star Ray Liotta who has died at the age of 67.

His publicist Jennifer Allen said the actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming his latest movie Dangerous Waters.

Liotta’s fiancee Jacy Nittolo was on location at the time of his death, Ms Allen said.

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Liotta found fame playing ex-con Ray Sinclair in 1986 black comedy Something Wild, a role which saw him received a Golden Globe nomination.

Actor Ray Liotta has died, aged 67 (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)Actor Ray Liotta has died, aged 67 (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
Actor Ray Liotta has died, aged 67 (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

He went on to star as Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film Field Of Dreams, before landing a role that would etch him into cinema history, as he starred in Goodfellas opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.

Despite his monumental achievements in cinema, Liotta had previous spoken of his regrets, such as turning down an audition for Tim Burton’s Batman movie.

“I wish I’d handled my career differently but, you know, hindsight…” he said at the time.

“When I did my first movie, Tim Burton was getting ready to do Batman and he was interested in me because he wanted it to be edgy and real. I thought, ‘Batman? That’s a stupid idea’”

Liotta leaves behind his daughter Karsen, whom he shares with his ex-wife Michelle Grace, and his fiancee Nittolo.