Liotta Built Characters & We Came 2 Watch

I was one who recoiled upon first seeing the acclaimed “Goodfellas” because of its brute portrayal of mob life but now realize it was because now departed Ray Liotta was so masterful as the unfathomable Henry Hill character.

Said Director Martin Scorsese upon learning of Mr. Liotta’s death, presumably while asleep and dreaming sweet dreams, at age 67: “I’m absolutely shocked and devastated by the sudden, unexpected death of Ray Liotta. He was so uniquely gifted, so adventurous, so courageous as an actor. Playing Henry Hill in Good Fellas was a tall order, because the character had so many different facets, so many complicated layers, and Ray was in almost every scene of a long, tough shoot. He absolutely amazed me …”

Actually, Liotta’s homerun in the now classic Goodfellas immediately followed his iconic role as the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film “Field of Dreams” which was nominated for 3 Academy Awards. The improbable story about an Iowa farmer facing bankruptcy who’s told by a mysterious voice to make things worse by building a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field … was nevertheless somehow “sold” by Liotta. Is there any other actor who could have pulled it off? Sweet dreams, Ray. RIP. And, thanks for the memories.

Davd Soul