Fans from all over the world lamented Ray Liotta‘s passing in May of last year.
In fact, the abrupt death of the Goodfellas actor in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, came as a surprise, generating speculation about how he died.
Fast forward to the present day, and that question has finally been answered. According to current reports, authorities in the Dominican Republic determined that Liotta died as a result of heart and respiratory system problems.
The paperwork shows that the actor’s death was natural and peaceful. Respiratory insufficiency, pulmonary edoema (fluid in his lungs), and abrupt heart failure are thought to have contributed to Liotta’s death.
The paper also said that Liotta had atherosclerosis, a disease that results from a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of the arteries and may lead to a variety of health problems, including diabetes.
On May 22, the 67-year-old actor, whose career spanned three decades, died in his sleep. In the Dominican Republic, Liotta shot Dangerous Waters.
Liotta, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 18, 1954, made his start on the soap opera Another World before breaking out as a film actor in Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
He went on to portray the ghost of baseball icon Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film Field of Dreams, which became one of his most memorable performances.
His defining performance, though, came in his following film, Martin Scorsese’s iconic mob thriller Goodfellas. Liotta played real-life gangster Henry Hill, tracing his rise and fall through the mafia over three decades.
The picture, which also stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, was a box office success and was nominated for six Academy Awards. It is largely considered to be one of the finest films ever produced.
Liotta has made a significant comeback in recent years. He played a vicious divorce lawyer in Marriage Story, which was nominated for Best Picture and other honors. He also starred in No Sudden Move and The Many Saints of Newark, a Sopranos prequel film.
Ray Liotta, rest in peace. Thank you for decades of unforgettable performances. You will be sorely missed.
