Age, Biography, and Wiki
Full Name: Raymond Allen Liotta
Date of Birth: December 18, 1954
Place of Birth: Newark, New Jersey, USA
Date of Death: May 26, 2022 (age 67)
Cause of Death: Passed away in his sleep
Wikipedia Page: Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta was adopted at six months by an Italian-American family and grew up in suburban New Jersey. He began his acting career in the early 1980s, quickly rising to prominence with his memorable performances in Something Wild and Field of Dreams before achieving global recognition for his lead role in GoodFellas. Liotta was also inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2017 and posthumously honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.
| Occupation | Soap Opera Actor |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 18 December 1954 |
| Age | 70 Years |
| Birth Place | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Date of death | 26 May, 2022 |
| Died Place | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
Height, Weight & Measurements
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
- Weight: Approximately 180 lbs (82 kg)
- Eye Color: Green
- Hair Color: Dark Brown
(Note: Measurements are approximate and may vary based on sources.)
| Height | 185 cm |
| Weight | 180 lbs |
| Body Measurements | |
| Eye Color | |
| Hair Color |
Dating & Relationship Status
- Marital History: Ray Liotta was married once to actress Michelle Grace (1997–2004). The couple had one daughter together.
- Engagement at Time of Death: Ray was engaged to Jacy Nittolo at the time of his passing in May 2022.
- Children: One daughter, Karsen Liotta
Having been abandoned at an orphanage, he was adopted at the age of six months by township clerk Mary (née Edgar) and auto parts store owner Alfred Liotta. His adoptive parents were Scottish and Italian Americans. Alfred was a personnel director and president of a local Democratic Party club. His adoptive parents each unsuccessfully ran for local political office; he recalled attending parades to hand out flyers for his father's run.
Liotta had a sister, Linda, who was also adopted. He said that he knew that he was adopted as a young child, and presented a show-and-tell report. He hired a private detective to locate his biological mother, named Ruth, in the 2000s, from whom he learned his family was of Scottish descent. He had one biological sister, one biological half-brother also named Ray, and five biological half-sisters.
Liotta played the Justice Department official Paul Krendler in the 2001 film Hannibal opposite Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore. Also in 2001, he played the father of drug dealer George Jung in the film Blow. In 2002, he appeared as Detective Lieutenant Henry Oak in the Joe Carnahan-directed film Narc, a role that led to an Independent Spirit Award nomination and a Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards nomination for Best Supporting Male.
Liotta married Michelle Grace, an actress and producer, in February 1997 after they met at a baseball game, where her former husband Mark Grace was playing for the Chicago Cubs. They had a daughter before divorcing amicably in 2004.
On an episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Liotta revealed that Nancy and Tina Sinatra once sent Liotta a fake horse's head in the mail. The joke was in response to Liotta's declining to play their father in a miniseries they were working on, only to see Liotta play him in the 1998 HBO television film The Rat Pack.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Michelle Grace (m. 1997-2004) |
| Sibling | |
| Children |
Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth (2025): Approximately $14 million
- Primary Sources of Income: Acting, producing, directing, and commercial endorsements
- Notable Deals: Commercial spokesperson for the anti-smoking drug Chantix (2019), various film and television projects
Liotta managed to accumulate substantial wealth through a long, steady career in entertainment, punctuated by big-name projects and lucrative commercial work.
Career, Business, and Investments
-
Career Highlights:
- Film: GoodFellas (1990), Field of Dreams (1989), Something Wild (1986), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001)
- Television: Shades of Blue (2016–2018), ER (guest appearance)
- Voice Work: Video games, animated series, and commercials
- Production: Producer and director for select projects
-
Real Estate:
- 2003: Purchased a 6,000-square-foot mansion in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades for $2.7 million
- 2007: Sold his Pacific Palisades home to Britney Spears for $7 million (some sources say $8 million)
- 2023: Estate listed and sold the Pacific Palisades home for $4.95 million
In 2018, while discussing his role alongside Jennifer Lopez as a corrupt cop targeted by the FBI in the NBC crime drama Shades of Blue, Liotta told a reporter for Long Island Weekly: "You want to do as many different genres as you can and that's what I've been doing. I've done movies with the Muppets. I did Sinatra. I did good guys and bad guys. I did a movie with an elephant. I decided that I was here to try different parts and do different things. That's what it's really all about. That's what a career should be."
Social Network
Ray Liotta maintained a modest presence on social media during his lifetime but was more recognized for his professional work and public appearances. His official Instagram, managed posthumously by his family and team, continues to share tributes and career highlights.
Raymond Allen Liotta (December 18, 1954 – May 26, 2022) was an American actor. He first gained attention for his role in the film Something Wild (1986), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. He was best known for his portrayals of Shoeless Joe Jackson in the film Field of Dreams (1989) and Henry Hill in the film Goodfellas (1990). Liotta appeared in numerous other films, including Unlawful Entry (1992), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001), John Q., Narc (both 2002), Identity (2003), Killing Them Softly, The Place Beyond the Pines (both 2012), and Marriage Story (2019).
Liotta appeared as Charlie Barber's (Adam Driver) second divorce attorney, Jay Marotta in the 2019 Noah Baumbach film Marriage Story. The film received critical acclaim and earned six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. Liotta received praise for his performance with Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian declaring, "what a thrill to hear his syrupy-gravelly voice again". The Hollywood Reporter described Liotta as being in "fine, mischievous form". In 2021, he played twin brothers "Hollywood Dick" Moltisanti and Salvatore "Sally" Moltisanti in the film The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to the HBO crime drama series The Sopranos.
Liotta appeared in Cocaine Bear, a thriller film based on the true story of an American black bear that ingested a duffel bag full of cocaine in 1985. The movie, released in theaters in February 2023, is directed by Elizabeth Banks and traces the aftermath of a drug runner's cocaine disappearing in a plane crash and being devoured by a bear. The movie was dedicated to his memory.
Education
- High School: Union High School, New Jersey
- College: University of Miami (Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts)
- Major: Acting
- Mascot: The Miami Hurricanes
Liotta honed his craft in college, which laid the foundation for his successful acting career.
Liotta grew up in a Roman Catholic household in Union, New Jersey, although his family was not especially religious. They attended church and he received first communion and was confirmed, but the family did not pray much. He occasionally used prayer in his daily life, telling an interviewer, "... if I'm in a fix, I'll pray ... if I'm feeling uncomfortable about something, I'll say "Our Fathers" and "Hail Marys" to this day." In 1973, he graduated from Union High School, and was later named to the Union High School Hall of Fame.
Liotta attended the University of Miami, where he studied acting and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1978. He performed in plays and musicals, including Cabaret, Dames at Sea, Oklahoma, and The Sound of Music, at the University of Miami's Jerry Herman Ring Theatre.
After graduating from the University of Miami, Liotta moved to New York City, where he was hired as a bartender at the Shubert Organization and landed an agent within six months. One of his earliest roles was as Joey Perrini on the soap opera Another World, on which he appeared from 1978 to 1981. He left the show and moved to Los Angeles. He made his film debut in 1983's The Lonely Lady. His first major acting role was Something Wild (1986), for which he received his first Golden Globe nomination, this nomination being for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. In 1989, Liotta played the ghost of baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson in the fantasy/drama film Field of Dreams.
Conclusion
Ray Liotta’s legacy as an actor and entertainer endures, with a net worth estimated at $14 million as of 2025. His career was marked by iconic roles, savvy real estate investments, and a commitment to his craft. Liotta’s influence continues to be celebrated by fans and peers alike, making him a lasting figure in entertainment history.
