A violent reaction by Ray Liotta at the Venice International Film Festival
who yelled at some bodyguards to let him greet Martin Scorsese, whom he had met months before, was his entry into the mythical film "Good Boys" (Goodfellas), which catapulted him to worldwide recognition.
That day, at the hotel where he was with his father, Ray saw from a distance the director who was presenting "The Last Temptation of Christ" and decided to approach him, but was immediately stopped short by security elements.
"I arrived screaming and of course, they kicked me out of there, but that's where Martin remembered me and decided that the role (of mafioso) was mine, he was seeing me react like that when he only knew me under control," Liotta recalled to Spanish program Late Motiv.
The film was so powerful that the actor, born in 1954, was still recognized by children and adolescents who knew about his work precisely thanks to that character.
"When it continues to be a reference, it is because something was done well," he said every time someone asked him about it.
Ray Liotta's dream was always to act
Ray, who passed away today at the age of 67 in his sleep, was someone who had the full freedom and support of his family when he revealed his desire to be an actor. When he was about to enter university, his father told him to do whatever he really wanted. And he was interested in art.
"Next to the department there was some theater and I approached, I said, this is going to be the class I want to take and that's where it all started. It's not the typical story of an actor," he proudly recalled.
With a filmography of more than 100 titles, among them "Fuga de Absolom"; "Land of the Police", next to Sylvester Stallone; "Sin City", a comic-style visual proposal and "The Girl of My Dreams", a youth comedy, Ray always thought of acting as the art of pretending.
"There are many people who go Prima Donna, actors, and actresses, divos, but I think that anyone who thinks they are special because they play a role is stupid," he commented.
"It's pretending to live, what's the merit of that? Yes, pretending is the best possible job, but as a business, it's very bad," he said amused.
And it is that pretending was an intrinsic part of his life. He was an adopted child after his biological mother gave him up thinking it was the best for him. It took years for him to see her and when she did, she didn't hold a grudge against him.
"He realized that 99% of children given up for adoption are for his betterment," he said in an interview with Larry King.
Among the productions that feature him and are in the post-production phase or waiting for a release date, are the series "Black Bird"; the film "The Fool", with Kate Beckinsale, as well as the thriller "Broken Soldier".
