Sadly, Ray Liotta died suddenly in May at the age of 67. At the time, he was still working and was in the Dominican Republic, filming a movie called Dangerous Waters. Prior, he had completed a film called Cocaine Bear, based on a true story where a bear accidentally ingested a lot of cocaine.
The movie stars Ray as well as Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, Margo Martindale, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The director, Elizabeth Banks, opened up about working with Ray and how he was so respectful and charming.
Watch the late Ray Liotta in the trailer for ‘Cocaine Bear’
She shared, “We met on a little film, ‘The Details’ and he blew me away. I always admired his acting but I genuinely enjoyed him as a human. He was a charmer. We have been collaborating on ‘Cocaine Bear’ these past few months. I just saw him, hugged him, heard about his summer travel plans. When any actor of Ray’s caliber puts trust in you as a director, it’s a gift. But Ray gave me so much more.”
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She continued, “I had been told in the past by Hollywood producers that men wouldn’t follow me, that I couldn’t direct action because of that. Ray’s respect for me as a director, actress and artist, as his boss on set, meant everything to me because if you can direct Henry Hill, you can do f—ing anything in this town. I am so grateful Ray Liotta blessed my life. May he Rest In Peace.”
The movie comes out on Feb. 24. Watch the trailer below but keep in mind it has some language and violent imagery:
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