Jennifer Lopez shared a loving tribute to her late Shades of Blue co-star Ray Liotta on Thursday (May 26) after news emerged that the actor had died at age 67 in his sleep this week in a hotel room while filming the movie Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic.
“Ray was my partner in crime on Shades of Blue … the first thing that comes to mind is he was so kind to my children,” Lopez said in a post that included a series of pictures of the pair embracing as well as a clip from the 2016-2018 NBC cop drama in which they co-starred. “Ray was the epitome of a tough guy who was all mushy on the inside … I guess that’s what made him such a compelling actor to watch. The original Goodfella. We shared some intense moments on set those three years!”
Lopez recalled her elation when she heard that the versatile actor best known for Something Wild, Field of Dreams and his unforgettable role as mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s beloved 1990 crime drama Goodfellas was going to join her on Blue. “I was thrilled, and the first time we walked on set to do our first scene together there was an electric spark and a mutual respect and we both knew this was going to be good,” she wrote.
“We enjoyed doing our scenes together and I felt lucky to have him there to work with and learn from. Like all artists he was complicated, sincere, honest and so very emotional. Like a raw nerve, he was so accessible and so in touch in his acting and I will always remember our time together fondly. We lost a great today … RIP RAY … it’s so sad to lose you what seems way to soon … I will remember you always. Sending so much love and strength to your daughter Karsen, your family and all your loved ones.”
Liotta often played untrustworthy cops, in films such as Unlawful Entry, Cop Land and Narc, and had been busy lately, appearing on 2019’s Marriage Story, 2021’s No Sudden Move and memorably as two different Moltisanti family members in the 2021 Soprano‘s prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti and Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti. He will also appear in the upcoming Apple TV series Black Bird alongside Taron Egerton.
See Lopez’s tribute below.
