Ray Liotta commanded attention. He was terrifying when he was tough, but absolutely horrifying when he was gentle. He perfected the knack of playing sharp, smart hard guys in a movie career that began in 1983, whether they were attorneys, cops, or, most memorably, gangsters.

He’ll be remembered as the voice of Tommy Vercetti in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City by a generation of computer game players, a performance that was beholden to and paid honour to his outstanding cinematic career, which regrettably ended with his death at the age of 67.

Here are ten of Liotta’s most memorable roles on the silver screen.

10. Something Wild (1986)

Liotta’s breakthrough role was in Jonathan Demme’s screwball action-comedy, Something Wild. Jeff Daniels plays a yuppie investment banker whose road trip with Melanie Griffith is cut short by her violent, ex-con lover, played with genuine menace by Liotta, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his strong portrayal.

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9. Cop Land (1997)

The cast of James Mangold’s celebrated neo-noir about corrupt New York City cops living in New Jersey included Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, and Harvey Keitel. In his role as NYPD officer Gary Figgis, Liotta faced off against all three.

8. The Many Saints of Newark (2021)

There was a lot of excitement for David Chase’s The Sopranos prequel, but few expected Liotta to play both “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti and his twin brother Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti. Chase had already approached Liotta about appearing in the third season of The Sopranos, and the actor’s long-awaited appearance did not disappoint.

7. Identity (2003)

On this loose remake of Agatha Christie’s 1939 whodunit And Then There Were None, Liotta collaborated once more with Cop Land’s James Mangold. Liotta provides a multi-layered performance as a figure who is not who he appears as part of an ensemble cast that also includes John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, and Rebecca De Mornay.

6. The Place Beyond The Pines (2012)

In filmmaker Derek Cianfrance’s crime drama, Liotta plays Peter Deluca, a crooked detective who has authority over Bradley Cooper’s officer Avery Cross. The role was designed specifically for Liotta because of his performance in Goodfellas, which Cianfrance considers to be one of his favourite films.

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5. Marriage Story (2019)

In Noah Baumbach’s break-up drama, Adam Driver first prepares to divorce his wife (Scarlett Johansson) by hiring an accommodating lawyer, Alan Alda, who plays him thoughtfully. When he realises he’d rather be represented by a tough-guy ball-breaker, he changes to a shark – and who better to have on your side than Ray Liotta?

4. Field of Dreams (1989)

Liotta played an important role in Phil Alden Robinson’s sports fantasy about a farmer who develops a baseball field and attracts the spirits of baseball great. Robinson picked Liotta as real-life outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson because of the “sense of danger” and ambiguity he offered to the supernatural part.

3. Narc (2002)

In this two-hander with Jason Patric, Liotta was at his most electrifying. In Joe Carnahan’s unappreciated neo-noir, the pair portray police detectives on the hunt for the killer of an undercover agent, and Liotta delivers one of his all-time best performances.

Also read: Ray Liotta dies at 67: Goodfellas actor’s net worth, wife, girlfriend children and other details

2. Blow (2001)

Ted Demme cast Liotta as the father of real-life drug courier George Jung (Johnny Depp) in his tremendously amusing romp through the soaring highs and heartbreaking lows of the cocaine trade.

1. Goodfellas (1990)

Liotta owes his iconic part to Robert De Niro, who recommended him to director Martin Scorsese after seeing his explosive energy light up the screen in Something Wild. Liotta did not disappoint either man, delivering a gripping, genuine, and at times humorous lead performance in a film widely regarded as one of the best ever made.