Character Ray Liotta died this week at age 67. Of course, he made his bones in mob movies, most notably the glorious lead role in "Goodfellas." More recently he got stuck in a dual role in the disappointing Sopranos movie "The Many Saints of Newark." Here's an obit. (Or, as Soap Opera Digest put it: "'Another World' Alum Dies at 67."
We enjoyed him a while back as a sleazy detective in "The Place Beyond the Pines." And he almost stole the show from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in "Marriage Story."
But our favorite scene of his was in Jonathan Demme's "Something Wild," Liotta's breakout role in 1986. He plays the ex-con Ray, who also happens to be the estranged spouse of Melanie Griffith's wild girl who has settled down with Jeff Daniels' normie Charlie. The interaction in the car between Liotta and Daniels -- both fresh-faced and brimming with energy -- provides a good example of granite-faced Liotta's ability to mingle humor with menace.
Expect a lot of "Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa" references in memoriam.
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