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Ray Liotta Remembers His Mom Passing Away ‘in My Arms’ in the Middle of Filming ‘Goodfellas’

While he was filming the movie that would make him famous, Ray Liotta went through a very personal loss. He recently opened up about this experience during an interview with Willie Geist of TODAY.

The film that propelled Liotta to fame was the classic mobster hit, “Goodfellas.” He is also known for his work in such films as “Field of Dreams,” “Something Wild,” “Blow,” and “Narc.”

According to IMDb, the 66-year-old actor was born on Dec. 18, 1954, in Newark, New Jersey. He was adopted. His adoptive parents were Alfred Liotta and Mary (Edgar). He owned an auto parts store. She worked as a township clerk. They raised him in Union, New Jersey.

It was during the filming of “Goodfellas” that Liotta’s mother passed away. This experience changed how the young actor viewed his work in the famous film.

“My mom was sick with cancer during the filming of ‘Goodfellas,’ and she passed away in the middle of it. … It put things in perspective in a really deep way,” Ray Liotta said. Despite mourning his mother, the actor continued with the filming of the movie.

He learned that his mother was about to pass away while on set. But, he pushed through with his work.

“I was doing a scene Friday. They told me. My knees buckled, but you realize you’ve got to go back and finish the scene. And I did,” he also recalled.

Of course, Liotta then went to be with his ailing mother. Fortunately, he reached her before she died. This is an experience the actor has kept mostly to himself.

“I went back that night, and luckily I was there when she passed, literally in my arms. I’ve never really talked about that,” Liotta shared.

Ray Liotta Joins ‘The Sopranos’ Universe in Movie Prequel

When you think of Ray Liotta you think of someone who is tough and you probably don’t want to mess with thanks to his roles in such films as “Goodfellas.” However, the actor doesn’t share much in common with those characters. In fact, he said that he has only been in a few skirmishes in his life. One of the few took place when he was in seventh grade.

“It was me and this kid, and for some reason, he wanted to challenge me that the food in his grammar school was better than the food in my grammar school. We sort of just beat each other, like a couple girls,” Liotta joked.

If you’re a fan of Ray Liotta and his work in films such as “Goodfellas,” you’re in luck. The actor is returning to a tough-guy role in the upcoming film, “The Many Saints of Newark.” The new movie is a prequel to the iconic HBO series “The Sopranos.”

In this film, Liotta will play the character of Hollywood Dick. He is a new person in “The Sopranos” universe. “He’s just a loudmouth that you want to punch,” Liotta said of his character.

You can watch a trailer for “The Many Saints of Newark” below.