‘I am utterly shattered;’ Hollywood reacts to news of Ray Liotta’s death

In the wake of the news that iconic actor Ray Liotta died on Thursday, co-stars, friends and celebrities alike took to social media to offer their condolences. 

Amongst those was Lorraine Bracco, the wife of Henry Hill in “Goodfellas,” Liotta’s most recognized and celebrated work. She offered a heartfelt message to her longtime friend via Twitter, stating that she was “utterly shattered” by the news. 

Robert De Niro, who also co-starred with Liotta in “Goodfellas,” issued a statement, which read: “I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too young to have left us.”

“The Sopranos” creator David Chase, who also worked with Liotta on “The Many Saints of Newark,” issued his own statement on Thursday, which commented on the actor’s “warm and humorous” persona. In full the statement read:

“This is a massive, unexpected shock. I have been an admirer of Ray’s work since I saw him in ‘Something Wild,’ a movie he wrenched by the tail. I was so glad he worked on ‘The Many Saints of Newark.’ I believed strongly in my heart that he could play that double role. He created two distinctly separate characters and each performance was phenomenal. Ray was also a very warm and humorous person. A really superior actor. We all felt we lucked out having him on that movie.”

Kevin Costner, who appeared alongside the actor in “Field of Dreams,” shared a short clip from the film along with some beautiful words. 

James Caan had just two words after learning the news. 

Additionally, Jamie Lee Curtis took to Twitter commenting on how Liotta’s “work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being.”

Jeffrey Wright noted how lucky he was to have met Liotta last year.

James Mangold, who directed both “Cop Land,” and “Identity” with Liotta in a starring role, offered his thoughts on Liotta’s death, mentioning how he was “shocked and saddened” to hear the news about the “sweet, playful and passionate collaborator and brilliant actor.”

Seth Rogen, who appeared alongside Liotta in “Observe and Report,” mentioned how “working with him was one of the great joys of my career.”

Matthew Modine recalled “the stories and jokes we shared.”

Brent Spiner simply stated, “what a talent.”

Alessandro Nivola, who starred alongside Liotta in “The Many Saints of Newark,” shared his thoughts on moments that are the “highlights of his career.”