8 Things You Didn’t Know About Ray Liotta

Ray Liotta, a renowned actor best remembered for his legendary performance as Henry Hill in the 1990 film Goodfellas, took on many challenging roles and represented a wide range of characters, though he was known to lean toward the gritty yet endearing.

Many people are thinking back on his lengthy, cherished career after hearing the shocking news of his sudden passing. Here, you may read more about what his years of performing included and discover some interesting trivia about him.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Ray Liotta

1. Worked As A Maintenance Man

He started acting as a hobby while attending the University of Miami, but it wasn’t something he was immediately making enough money in. Instead, he was employed by a cemetery as a maintenance worker. ^[1]

2. Adopted A Peculiar Diet For His Role Once

He put on more than 20 pounds to play Henry Oak, a figure he wanted to emulate because he thought he had a strong presence. He usually consumed Chinese food in order to gain weight quickly enough for the filming. ^[2]

3. Turned Down The Role Of Batman

In fact, he received offers for three different parts in the 1989 Batman movie. Harvey Dent or the Joker was the first role that Warner Bros proposed to Liotta since they were so keen to get him on board. They then offered him the title part as Batman himself after he declined those.

4. Was About To Voice The Scar Of Lion King

Another well-known job that eluded him was that of Scar in Disney’s The Lion King. Liotta was considered alongside Alan Rickman, Tim Curry, and Robert Duvall, among others, but Jeremy Irons won the role and delivered the fantastic performance we all know and love.

5. Spoke With Real Mobster For His Role In God Fellas

He had lunch with a real mobster to learn how to portray one in the film, which would become his most famous part. He believes the man he spoke with pulled a cruel joke on him. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, he discussed it. ^[3]

6. Avid Horse Rider

Liotta had to learn to ride a horse for the 2015 miniseries Texas Rising, and he kept up the habit long after the show ended.

7. Admits To Being Rude On Set

Though he appeared to be a pleasant person in interviews, he admitted to getting harsh when he disagreed with a director. ^[4]

8. An Adopted Child

Liotta was always open about the fact that he was adopted at the age of six months. After a brief stay in an orphanage in Newark, New Jersey, he was adopted by Mary Miller and Alfred Liotta in 1955.