Ray Liotta's Best Role Happened During A Tragic Time In His Life

The late, great Ray Liotta had a lot of memorable credits to his name throughout his career, but it's probably safe to say his best role was as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas." In fact, we said just that when we ranked the actor's career right here. Acting against heavy hitters like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, Liotta had to essentially carry the entire movie — he's in practically every single scene and serves as the narrator and guide into the world of the mafia that Scorsese was presenting (adapted from the nonfiction book "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi). Henry is a gangster; a criminal; a violent man. In a lesser actor's hands, this character might be detestable. But Liotta is able to make us have sympathy for Henry; we're caught up in his story, and when the third act of the film brings the character to the lowest moments of his life, we're engrossed and wondering how he's going to make it out. 

Liotta had acted before "Goodfellas," but it's fair to say that Henry Hill was the biggest role of his career at the time, and it helped make him an even bigger movie star. However, the film arrived at a sad time in Liotta's life, when he was grappling with the impending death of a parent. While speaking with Empire, Liotta talked about the bittersweet experience of shooting "Goodfellas." On one hand, he was working with Martin Scorsese. On the other, his mother was very sick at the time. "It was incredible, and Marty's enthusiasm is so exhilarating," the actor said. "But it was offset by the fact my mom was really sick, in the final months of her life with cancer." He added that "the movie got pushed back so I was out in New Jersey waiting to start, and I got to spend a lot of time with her."

In GQ's oral history of "Goodfellas," the subject of Liotta's mother also came up. Illeana Douglas, who appeared in the film, said: "Ray was on the fast track to becoming a movie star, but I think that real-life insecurities and family things that he was experiencing were playing out in real time on-camera. And I'm sure Marty was aware of that, and not being mean but using it to his advantage."

Liotta added: "You're dealing with real anger. My mom had cancer, and she was dying. There was a lot of anger about her being sick." In fact, Liotta channeled his anger as his mother's illness during a scene where his character pistol-whips someone. "I was wound up," Liotta said. "I might have gotten a phone call about my mom. That guy was nervous. He was, like, a Juilliard guy."

Ultimately, Liotta's mom died in the middle of filming. "I remember we were in the club shooting when somebody got the phone call and had to tell him," said Deborah Lupard, the film's Second Assistant Director. "I remember how stoic he was about it, and how professional. I think he left the set until he could breathe and get on with it, and then he finished working." You can definitely feel a rawness to Liotta's performance, and he likely brought his own pain into the role of Henry Hill. Ray Liotta died in 2022. He is missed.