Ray Liotta was an American actor and producer who has appeared in more than a 100 films and television shows. He is best known for his roles in some critically acclaimed films such as Goodfellas and Field of Dreams.

Early Life and Adoption

Lotta was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1954 and was adopted by his parents when he was six months old. He was the adoptive son of township clerk Mary (née Edgar) and auto parts store owner Alfred Liotta. The couple also adopted his little sister Linda. Liotta grew up in a Roman Catholic household in Union Township, New Jersey.

Education and Early Career

Liotta graduated from Union High School in 1973. He went to the University of Miami where he studied acting and earned a degree in fine arts in 1978. Liotta started his acting career in the soap opera Another World in 1978.

Breakthrough Role

However, it took him twelve years to get his breakthrough when he acted in Goodfellas in 1990. The film was a massive success and helped establish him as a leading actor in Hollywood.

Later Career Highlights

Liotta continued acting in several films through the years and even voiced the role of Tommy Vercetti in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He also received an Emmy award for his guest appearance on ER in 2005.

Discovery of Biological Family

Later on in the 2000s, Ray Liotta hired a private detective to locate his biological mother, named Ruth. He learned his family was of Scottish descent. He had one biological sister, one biological half-brother also named Ray, and five biological half-sisters.

Marriage and Family

Ray Liotta married Michelle Grace, an actress and producer, in February 1997. She was a divorcee. The couple had a daughter before they divorced in 2004.

Death

Liotta sadly passed away in 2022 at the age of 67.