Ray Liotta Movies
Actor Ray Liotta's intense demeanor and fondness for edgy roles quickly established him as one of the most interesting and respected supporting players of his generation. Born in Newark, NJ, on December 18, 1955, he was adopted at the age of six months, by Alfred and Mary Liotta, and raised in Union Township, New Jersey. (His parents adopted another child, Linda, three years later.)As a gifted high school athlete, Liotta played varsity basketball and soccer, while working a side job in his father's auto supply shop. After graduation, he left home to attend the University of Miami, where he cultivated an interest in acting and majored in Drama. Liotta appeared in a number of collegiate productions, including a surprising number of musicals (Cabaret, The Sound of Music). Within a year of graduation, Liotta scored a one-shot commercial and a recurring three-year role as Joey Perrini on the daytime soap opera Another World; he also joined the cast of several short-lived prime-time network TV series, including Crazy Times (1981) - with David Caruso and Amy Madigan - and Casablanca (1983) - featuring David Soul in the role Humphrey Bogart made famous, and Liotta as Sacha.
Liotta signed for his first film role in the 1983 Pia Zadora vehicle The Lonely Lady, but didn't break into the big time until 1986, when Jonathan Demme cast him as the psychotic Ray Sinclair in the comedy-drama Something Wild. Liotta's well-received performance won him a number of Hollywood offers playing over-the-top villains, but, determined to avoid typecasting - , Liotta rejected the solicitations and traveled the opposite route, with gentle, sensitive roles in Dominick and Eugene and Field of Dreams (as the legendary "Shoeless" Joe Jackson). His determination to wait for the right role paid off in 1990, when he was cast as mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's masterful crime drama GoodFellas. However, while the success of GoodFellas raised Liotta's profile considerably, he clung to his high standards, waiting for the right part (and wary of compromise).
While he still found himself playing tough and/or scary guys in the likes of Unlawful Entry and No Escape, in Corrina, Corrina showcased Liotta's talent as a a romantic lead, and he catered to "family friendly" audiences with Disney's Operation Dumbo Drop (1995) and Tim Hill's Muppets From Space (1999). After a productive 2001, with key roles in the blockbuster hits Blow, Hannibal, and Heartbreakers, the actor formed his own production company to ensure a greater diversity of roles and more interesting material. For his debut as a producer, Liotta developed and released the critically acclaimed Narc; he also appears in the film, as a hot-headed ex-cop.
Liotta hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2003, the same year he cameo'd in director Peter Segal's Anger Management, starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson. But that year also marked the beginning of a downswing for the gifted thesp. His activity ostensibly crescendoed through the end of 2004 - but, despite scattered encouraging reviews - his trio of major films from that year (a sociopath in Tim Hunter's Control, a corrupt cop in Matthew Chapman's Slow Burn, a bit part in Jeff Nathanson's Tinseltown satire The Last Shot) saw extremely limited release and fell just ahead of going straight to video. As 2005 dawned, he restrategized by sticking with higher-profile directors - specifically, Guy Ritchie for Revolver (second billing, as a casino owner targeted by a vengeful ex-con) and Mark Rydell for the sports gambling drama Even Money. This plan proved uneven: the Ritchie film tanked amid widespread accusations of directorial pretentiousness, while the Rydell film seemed destined to score given the talent in the cast (Danny de Vito, Kim Basinger, Tim Roth, Forest Whitaker).
As 2006 rolled around, Liotta returned to the glitter box - for the first time in twenty-five years - with the action-laced ensemble crime drama Smith. Slated with a September '06 premiere, this CBS series follows the adventures of a collective of high-rolling thieves who execute dazzling crimes with cunning and adroitness; Liotta plays one of the criminals. That same year, Liotta continued his big screen forays with appearances in the gentle coming-of-age drama Local Color, as a dad who passionately objects to his son's desire to apprentice a master painter, and Bruce McCulloch's buddy comedy Comeback Season, as a down-and-outer, rejected by his wife, who makes a close friend in prison. These projects suggested a turn away from tough guy roles and Liotta's harkening back to the gently understated work that he perfected in Dominick and Field of Dreams.
Liotta married actress Michelle Grace (Narc, Baseball Wives) in 1997, who co-produced his dance drama Take the Lead (2006) with him. The couple divorced in 2004. ~ All Movie Guide
As the 1972 baseball season draws to a close and star player Roberto Clemente prepares to knock hit number 3,000 out of the park, two brothers -- one of whom is afflicted with muscular dystrophy -- make the drive from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh in hopes of witnessing sports history in the making. Based on a true story, Chasing 3000 is directed by Gregory J. Lanesey and features Ray Liotta. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta
Executive-produced by ER and West Wing veteran John Wells, the weekly serialized drama series Smith focused on a group of highly skilled professional thieves, who covered their tracks by living normal, above-suspicion lives between heists. There was actually no character named "Smith"; this was the designation given by the Feds to the mysterious leader of the criminals, whom the audience knew to be Bobby Stevens (Ray Liotta), who maintained a respectable veneer as a sales representative for a paper-cup company. Ever so often, Bobby would make up an alibi for his dental-assistant wife Hope (Virginia Madsen) and his family, travel to another city, don new clothes and a new identity, and mastermind a high-profile theft with his accomplices, all of whom resided in different, far-flung cities. Bobby's "team" included womanizing hit man Jeff (Simon Baker), Vegas showgirl Annie (Amy Smart), parolee Tom (Johnny Lee Miller), and versatile utility man Joe (Franky G.). Dogging the thieves' trail with Javert-like diligence was the ruthless and sometimes unscrupulous federal agent Dodd (Chris Bauer). Debuting September 19, 2006 on CBS, Smith was among the first casualties of the 2006-2007 season, lasting only three episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen, (more)
Bruce McCulloch's buddy comedy Comeback Season stars Ray Liotta and Shaun Sipos as a pair of unlikely friends. Liotta plays Walter Pearce, a man who ends up without a place to stay after a fight with his wife of 24 years. Walter ends up in jail after an incident with another man, and in the cell meets up with Skylar Eckerman (Sipos), a promising football player who has landed in the clink after a drinking binge. Eckerman worries for his future as he has recently suffered a severe injury. Although Eckerman and Pearce share an uncomfortable history, the two bury the hatchet and soon are able to depend on each other. Comeback Season had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Glenne Headly, (more)
It's been a long and hard life for death-row inmate Lee Ray Oliver (Ray Liotta), and by the time he is strapped to the gurney to be executed by lethal injection, his death sentence seems more like sweet release than ultimate punishment for a lifetime of crime. Awakening stunned and confused after being pronounced deceased by the prison doctor, Lee Ray is given a second chance at life on the one condition that he take part in a secret experimental treatment designed by revolutionary scientist Dr. Miles Copeland (Willem Dafoe) to cure him of his criminal instinct once and for all. He is granted a new name and new hope when the treatment works - permanently - but soon the past returns to haunt him in the form of several old enemies, and then shady government officials crop up to terminate Copeland's program. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Willem Dafoe, (more)
A cop trying to clear the name of a woman he loves falls deep into a morass of corruption in this crime thriller. Ford Cole (Ray Liotta) is the district attorney in a crime-ridden town where he's contemplating a run for mayor in a bid for greater power. Cole is also having an affair with one of his assistants, Nora Timmer (Jolene Blalock), though he tries to keep that a secret. One evening, while Cole is chatting with journalist Trippin (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Timmer arrives with startling news -- she claims to have been sexually assaulted by Isaac Duparde (Mekhi Phifer), a clerk at a nearby music store who broke into her apartment. Making matters more complicated is the fact that Duparde is currently dead in her flat, leaving Cole to find a way to protect Timmer while not staining his own reputation. Cole realizes this may be harder than he imagined when Luther Pinks (LL Cool J) arrives on the scene to tell him that Timmer actually lured Duparde back to her apartment on purpose, in an effort to get information on a well-connected organized crime figure. Slow Burn was the first directorial effort from screenwriter Wayne Beach. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This 2003 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Ray Liotta and features musical guest the Donnas. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, The Donnas, (more)
Point of Origin, produced by HBO, marks the feature directorial debut of accomplished cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel (Three Kings, X-Men). The film is based on an actual serial arson investigation that took place in Glendale, CA, in the late '80s and early '90s. Ray Liotta stars in the film as John Orr, a skilled arson investigator with a sixth sense for finding the "point of origin," the place where a fire was started. Orr also has a knack for locating the devices used to start the fires. Keith Lang (John Leguizamo), his ambitious young protégé, calls Orr "Professor." Orr is stumped by a series of big fires, some fatal, which seem to have been set by the same arsonist. A commission is appointed to investigate the case, headed up by ATF agent Mike Matasso (Colm Feore) and fireman Mike Camello (Cliff Curtis). Orr uses his influence to get Lang appointed to the panel. But Matasso and Orr are immediately at odds with each other, as the ATF man seems to resent Orr's efforts to maintain control of the investigation. Orr is also dealing with his troubled marriage to Wanda (Bai Ling) and is having an affair with the volatile Kate (Illeana Douglas). As he gets deeper into the case, trying to get inside the head of the criminal, Orr begins to worry that the arsonist has some kind of personal involvement with him. Then the commission uncovers a link to an earlier string of fires, and uncovers evidence that the arsonist may actually be a fireman. The actual investigators, Matasso and Camello, have cameos in the film, and Camello also served as one of the film's technical advisors. These events were also the basis for Joseph Wambaugh's book Fire Lover: A True Story. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
In the conclusion of a two-part story, the Griffins' talking, martini-drinking dog Brian has determined that his master Peter is the cause of his addictive personality, and thus he has left Quahog to seek his fortune elsewhere. Brian ends up in Hollywood, where through certain connections he finds working directing porno films. Meanwhile, malevolent infant Stewie Griffin auditions for the TV show "Kids Say the Darnedest Things" (the better to put in motion his latest scheme to take over the world). Winning the audition, Stewie also wins his family an all-expense-paid trip...to Hollywood. This week's obscure pop-culture references include "guest appearances" by actor Ray Liotta and porn star Jenna Jameson (who, as usual, is bound to please!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The American Film Institute's Directors: Martin Scorsese profiles the great director and offers insight into Scorsese's working methods, philosophies, and intentions. The documentary examines his total career, including his apprenticeship with Roger Corman, the great controversy over Last Temptation of Christ, his award-winning gangster picks, and Bringing Out the Dead, which received mixed reviews. Directed by Robert J. Emery, the one-hour program features interviews with Scorsese, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Barbara De Fina, Griffin Dunne, Ray Liotta, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Paul Newman, and Joe Pesci. Films excerpted include Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, After Hours, Casino, and others. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide
Writer/director Paul Schrader explored his well-documented interest in film noir with this modern-day crime story. A horribly disfigured man named Manuel Esquema (Joseph Fiennes) is called upon to help out Mark Brice (Ray Liotta), a former city councilman in a wealthy New York community. Brice has been accused of some serious financial irregularities, and Esquema is the sort of "fixer" who might be able to make his problems go away. Mark, however, doesn't recognize Esquema as the former Alan Ripley, who was working as a towel boy at the Florida resort where Mark and his wife Ella (Gretchen Mol) were honeymooning shortly after their marriage. Alan became obsessed with Ella the moment he saw her, and before long the two were engaged in a torrid affair. Ripley urged Ella to leave Mark for him, but she refused; Ripley followed them to New York, and when Ella eventually confessed her infidelity to Mark, he responded by shooting off half of Alan's face. Alan survives and builds a new (and sinister) life for himself, but when Mark hires Esquema to help him, the former Alan's obsession with Ella blooms anew. Forever Mine was screened in competition at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Fiennes, Ray Liotta, (more)
Shot in 33 days, this $9.6 million biographical drama of behind-the-scenes interactions within the Rat Pack group of Frank Sinatra (Ray Liotta), Dean Martin (Joe Mantegna), and Sammy Davis Jr. (Don Cheadle) is set against the political backdrop of the '60s, establishing links of singers, gangsters, actors, and politicans (sometimes brushing shoulders in the same rooms). The film also explores Sinatra's relationship with John F. Kennedy (William Peterson). Deciding to support Kennedy, Sinatra patches up his feud with Peter Lawford (Angus Macfadyen), since Lawford's wife, Pat (Phyllis Lyons) is JFK's sister -- and a Sinatra-Kennedy friendship soon follows. However, when Joe Kennedy (Dan O'Herlihy) decides Sinatra's nightclub, mob and commie connections are a no-no for JFK, the patriarch's interference angers Sinatra. Meanwhile, Sammy Davis Jr. enters into an interracial liaison with May Britt (Megan Dodds), and the dynamics of the situation are visualized in an imaginative musical fantasy sequence in which Davis sees himself singing and dancing for an unresponsive line of white supremacists. Broadway's Savion Glover stepped in with the film's choreography. Substitute singers featured the voice of Michael Dees for Sinatra and Mantegna duplicating Dino. Also covered here are the events that led to the filming of Ocean's Eleven (1960). For an actual Rat Pack stage performance, see The Rat Pack Captured (1965). Filmed in LA, the TV movie premiered August 22, 1998 on HBO. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Joe Mantegna, (more)
Frasier's son, Frederick Crane (Luke Tarsitano), makes his annual Yuletide visit to Seattle. Eagerly looking forward to the educational toys that Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) has promised him -- including a "Living Brain" -- Frederick is crushed when a mistake is made in shipping and he receives nothing but girl's playthings. Thus it is that Frasier, who despises crowds even in the best of time, must claw his way from one mall to another in a hectic last-minute shopping excursion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Women and Men 2 is the second installment of HBO's short-story anthology series. In the first episode, Carson McCuller's "A Domestic Dilemma," Ray Liotta plays a husband who has to cut back on his work in order to care for his children, since his alcoholic wife (Andie MacDowell) cannot be trusted. In Irwin Shaw's "Return to Kansas City," a boxer (Matt Dillon) is unwilling to take risks in order to win love. In Henry Miller's "Mara," Scott Glenn plays Miller in a story about his love for a Parisian prostitute. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
An extended short from painter-turned-filmmaker Robert Longo, who would later helm Johnny Mnemonic, Arena Brains consists of a series of interlocking vignettes set in New York City in the late 1980s. The stories -- created by five different screenwriters, including Eric Bogosian, Richard Price, and Longo himself -- are mostly loosely structured attempts at satirizing the neuroses and eccentricities of members of Lower Manhattan's art community. This superficial, affluent subculture is presented in contrast with the reality of life on the New York City streets, as the film moves from galleries to alleyways and back again. Actors like Sean Young and Ray Liotta play small roles, while appearances by Bogosian, Ron Vawter, and other Manhattan theater and performance-art figures reinforce the film's hip, insider feel. (R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe even makes an appearance, as a mostly silent, nameless character who wanders through the various segments, observing the film's action). The result is a rather dated, uneven film that is best viewed now as a prime example of the indulgent artistic culture it intended to satirize. The marketing of the video release misleadingly emphasizes a not-so-prominent soundtrack, featuring songs by Husker Du, The Cure, P.I.L., and others. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
In this socially conscious drama, set in 1955, three tough New York youths must learn to deal with a troubled world. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Made for television and initially telecast February 9, 1980, Hardhat and Legs is a new-fashioned romance from the old-fashioned writing team of Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon. The "hardhat" is pugnacious construction worker Kevin Dobson. The "legs" is Sharon Gless, a high-class NY divorcee who responds to Dobson's wolf-whistle in a most unusual way. Once they get to know one another, Kevin and Sharon help to straighten out each other's problems: his battle with bookies, her custody bout with her ex-husband. Though the film's characters are neatly divided into "good" and "bad", the Hardhat and Legs is set in a user-friendly New York, the like of which hasn't been seen much since the films of the 1930s and 1940s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Superbad's Michael Cera discovers a vacation romance in Youth in Revolt, a teen comedy from Charlie Bartlett's screenwriter, Gustin Nash, and director Miguel Arteta (Chuck & Buck). The film is an adaptation of C.D. Payne's first book in a series of best-selling satirical novels starring Nick Twisp, a sexually charged 14-year-old whose intelligence and hormones get him into all sorts of adventures. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, (more)
Ray Liotta, Forest Whitaker, and Jessica Biel topline this ensemble drama regarding intersecting lives on Christmas Eve from writer/director Timothy Linh Bui (Green Dragon). Liotta plays an ex-convict who tracks down his estranged daughter (Biel) after serving a 25-year jail sentence. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Forest Whitaker, (more)
Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, and Sean Penn star in Running Scared writer/director Wayne Kramer's harrowing look at life amongst illegal immigrants and the immigration enforcement agents whose job it is to ensure that the U.S. borders remain secure. Every day, a new batch of immigrants comes flooding into Los Angeles in search of the American dream -- and every day the price of that dream rises exponentially. As the desperation of these newcomers continually tests the humanity of Los Angeles immigration enforcement officers, the face of a 21st century L.A. gradually begins to take form. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, (more)
Director James Cotten recruits an all-star roster for this crime thriller set along the Mexican-American border. Mexican drug lord Pelon has managed to escape the ire of the American government, but his decision to switch from cocaine from Colombia to heroin from Afghanistan attracts their attention. Numerous assassins come for the man's blood, but Pelon evades them all. Hitman Mark Shields sets himself apart from the pack with 20 years of killing experience, but he becomes distracted by the presence of a woman and her daughter. This character-driven action film stars Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Armand Assante, and Esai Morales. ~ Kimber Myers, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Esai Morales, (more)
The Foot Fist Way director Jody Hill takes the helm for this Seth Rogen comedy concerning an ambitious mall cop who competes with a seasoned detective to bust an elusive flasher. Make a wrong move at Forest Ridge Mall, and you'll have to answer to no-nonsense security head Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen). Ronnie sees skateboarders as the blight of society, and any shoplifter unfortunate enough to summon his wrath will be promptly busted and booked. Sure, Ronnie may suffer delusions of grandeur when it comes to his job, but perhaps with a little effort he'll eventually get to trade in his flashlight and patch for a gun and a badge. When a flasher begins tormenting the shoppers at Forest Ridge Mall, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his detective skills and impress gorgeous makeup counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris), who can't be bothered to give him a second glance. Perhaps by catching the culprit, Ronnie will finally earn himself a prized position over at the police academy. But the one thing Ronnie hadn't counted on was competition, and when Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) of the Conway Police makes it his personal mission to nab the flasher, the two rivals begin working around the clock to crack the case before their counterpart. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, (more)
Ray Liotta and Cuba Gooding, Jr. star in this tense crime thriller concerning a small town trash collector whose dangerous plan to impress a pretty girl goes tragically awry. Liam Case (Gooding, Jr.) is a garbage man whose life hasn't quite turned out the way he expected it would. In order to impress the girl of his dreams, Liam plans an elaborate heist that will culminate with him jumping in to save the day at the last minute. When the day of the heist arrives, however, the plan takes an unexpected turn and Liam winds up in the hospital. Upon learning that a mysterious killer has slain the criminal that left both himself and the bank teller for dead during the chaos of the robbery, Liam realizes that the associates of the murdered thief won't stop until they have avenged the death of their fallen partner in crime. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ray Liotta, (more)
Forest Whitaker, Kim Basinger, Jay Mohr, Danny DeVito, Nick Cannon, and Carla Gugino star in director Mark Rydell's ensemble addiction drama detailing the manner in which gambling and drugs affect a variety of people's lives during the weeks leading up to a championship college basketball game. Carolyn (Basinger) is a struggling novelist whose addiction to the slots drives her to deceive her husband Tom (Liotta). Though Carloyn claims to be working on her latest manuscript at a nearby coffee shop, the reality of her situation is decidedly more desperate. Meanwhile, local maintenance worker Clyde (Whitaker) stands at the sidelines of the basketball court cheering for his little brother Godfrey (Cannon) while keeping his lingering gambling debts a well-guarded secret. In another part of town, the ageing Detective Bruner (Kelsey Grammer) methodically trails malevolent bookie Victor (Tim Roth) as Victor's small-time counterpart Augie (Mohr) patiently waits for his ship to come in. As the big game draws near and casino magician Walter (DeVito) befriends gambling-addicted novelist Carolyn, all of these disparate characters slowly come together on a tragic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Basinger, Nick Cannon, (more)
Actor-turned-filmmaker Stuart Townsend makes his screenwriting and directorial debut with this ensemble film set during the 1999 World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle and presenting the riots that swept through the streets during the five-day conference from the perspectives of police, protestors, and city officials. A typically laid-back Northwestern city, Seattle would erupt into violence when, for five days in 1999, tens of thousands of protestors flooded the streets to voice their disapproval of the high-profile World Trade Organization conference. Among that sea of protestors are Django (André Benjamin), Sam (Jennifer Carpenter), Jay (Martin Henderson), and Lou (Michelle Rodriguez) -- each convinced that the stakes go beyond politics and equally determined to make a difference by ensuring that their voice of dissent is heard by the masses. At first the demonstration is peaceful, but in an instant the streets explode and the WTO is paralyzed. As a full-scale riot commences and a state of emergency is declared, the residents of Seattle are caught in the crossfire between protestors and police. With beleaguered mayor Jim Tobin (Ray Liotta) scrambling to diffuse tensions and riot cop Dale Anderson (Woody Harrelson) racing to protect his pregnant wife, Ella (Charlize Theron), everyone involved is forced to make difficult decisions that are sure to change their lives forever. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlize Theron, André Benjamin, (more)
A cop trying to clear the name of a woman he loves falls deep into a morass of corruption in this crime thriller. Ford Cole (Ray Liotta) is the district attorney in a crime-ridden town where he's contemplating a run for mayor in a bid for greater power. Cole is also having an affair with one of his assistants, Nora Timmer (Jolene Blalock), though he tries to keep that a secret. One evening, while Cole is chatting with journalist Trippin (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Timmer arrives with startling news -- she claims to have been sexually assaulted by Isaac Duparde (Mekhi Phifer), a clerk at a nearby music store who broke into her apartment. Making matters more complicated is the fact that Duparde is currently dead in her flat, leaving Cole to find a way to protect Timmer while not staining his own reputation. Cole realizes this may be harder than he imagined when Luther Pinks (LL Cool J) arrives on the scene to tell him that Timmer actually lured Duparde back to her apartment on purpose, in an effort to get information on a well-connected organized crime figure. Slow Burn was the first directorial effort from screenwriter Wayne Beach. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, (more)



























