Ray Liotta Appreciation: From Psychotic to Sweetheart, Versatile Actor Could Do It All
“Dominick and Eugene,” in which he plays the caretaker to his intellectually-disabled twin brother (played by Tom Hulce), or 1994’s “Corrina, Corrina,” as a widower who grows close to his daughter’s Black nanny (Whoopi Goldberg) in 1959 Los Angeles, he’s utterly riveting playing sweet, strong guys trying to do the right thing and to take care of their families.The actor also apparently had a great sense of humor about his own fame, turning up as parody versions of himself in projects ranging from the sitcom “Just Shoot Me” to the animated feature “Bee Movie.” It’s always a good time to watch “Goodfellas” again, but Liotta’s filmography highlights his multi-faceted gifts as a performer. (“Dominic and Eugene” is currently unavailable via streaming or on DVD – sound like a job for the folks at Missing Movies.) The circumstances of his demise indicate that he was a consummate professional to the end: He passed away on a movie shoot, with a half-dozen or so projects ready for imminent release and even more of them in development and now facing an uncertain future.