Ray Liotta received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring his 50 years of dedication to television and film.
Talk with Variety, Martin Scorsese recalled when he thought Ray Liotta was the best fit for the role of Henry Hill.
Noting that the two paths crossed before the production of Goodfellas, Scorsese began, “We were thinking of a few actors to play Henry Hill, and Ray was one of them,” Scorsese told Variety.
Scorsese, 80, continued: “I had a concern. I knew he could do a role like he had in Something Wild, but then he would have to wear the whole picture.”
THE Irish The director added: “He had to look like he could have been out of this world, he had to have a certain innocence, he had to have authority, but mostly he needed charm as a counterweight to the violence and horrifying behavior.”
He admitted: “I loved Ray’s work, we got on really well every time we met and I knew we could work together. But still…I wondered, and then, something took place.”
Recalling an incident at a hotel in Venice, Scorsese said Liotta “walked up to me to say hello and he was confronted by a phalanx of security. And…he handled the situation. Perfectly.”
“I took a little longer to think about it, but I realize now that I was just going through the stages,” he admitted. “That’s when I knew he was going to be Henry Hill.”