Ray Liotta made his debut in the American television soap opera ‘Another World’ in 1978. He played the role of ‘Joey Perrini’ and remained a part of the show until 1981. In 1983, he made his first big-screen appearance in the drama film ‘The Lonely Lady’ directed by Peter Sasdy. The film was panned by critics and was a box office disappointment. He received the ‘Golden Globe Award’ nomination for his performance as ‘Ray Sinclair’ in the 1986 American action-comedy romance film ‘Something Wild.’ The film earned wide praise from critics and was given a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In 1988, he starred as ‘Eugene "Gino" Luciano’ in the American drama film ‘Dominick and Eugene’ directed by Robert M. Young. The film received a positive response from critics. The following year, he portrayed ‘Shoeless Joe Jackson’ in the American sports fantasy drama film ‘Field of Dreams.’ The film opened to a positive reception and was a commercial success, grossing over $84.4 million against a budget of $15 million. The year 1990 saw the release of the American biographical crime film ‘Goodfellas’ where Liotta was seen playing the role of ‘Henry Hill.’ The film opened to universal acclaim and came to be regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
He next starred in films like ‘Unlawful Entry’ (1992), ‘No Escape’ (1994), ‘Operation Dumbo Drop’ (1995), ‘Unforgettable’ (1996), ‘Cop Land’ (1997), ‘Phoenix’ (1998), ‘Forever Mine’ (1999), ‘A Rumor of Angels’ (2000), and ‘Heartbreakers’ (2001). In 2002, he starred as ‘Lieutenant Henry Oak’ in the American thriller drama film ‘John Q.’ Even though the film received mostly negative reviews from critics, it managed to gross over $102.2 million against a budget of $36 million. The following year, he appeared in the American neo-noir thriller film ‘Identity’ directed by James Mangold. The film received polarizing reviews upon release but achieved cult status in later years. He continued to star in films like The Last Shot’ (2004), ‘Revolver’ (2005), ‘Slow Burn’ (2005), ‘Even Money’ (2006), ‘Take the Lead’ (2006), ‘Comeback Season’ (2006), ‘Wild Hogs’ (2007), ‘Bee Movie’ (2007), ‘Hero Wanted’ (2008), and ‘Powder Blue’ (2008). He played the role of ‘Detective Harrison’ in the American black comedy film ‘Observe and Report’ directed by Jody Hill. The film received a mixed response from critics. He was next seen in films such as ‘Crazy on the Outside’ (2010), ‘Snowmen’ (2010), ‘The Son of No One’ (2011), ‘The Entitled’ (2011), ‘Killing Them Softly’ (2012), ‘Yellow’ (2012), ‘The Devil's in the Details’ (2013), ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ (2014), ‘Kill the Messenger’ (2014), ‘Blackway’ (2015), ‘Flock of Dudes’ (2016), ‘Marriage Story’ (2019), and ‘Hubie Halloween’ (2020).
Liotta was last seen in the 2021 American crime drama film ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ directed by Alan Taylor. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. He worked in the American thriller film ‘Cocaine Bear,’ directed by Elizabeth Banks, which will the first fill to be released after his death.