A star of Goodfellas praises Ray Liotta for serving to them by means of the film, 35 years after making the Martin Scorsese gangster basic. The Henry Hill actor was a relative unknown earlier than taking the lead function in Scorsese’s 1990 mob film comeback. However Liotta was not unknown after co-starring with the likes of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, and remained a prolific character actor till his dying in 2022.
It emerges now that Liotta not solely excelled onscreen in Goodfellas, he additionally proved a behind-the-scenes mentor to his co-star Lorraine Bracco, who spoke not too long ago about how he helped information her by means of the shoot, and was significantly useful as they executed the now-famous Copacabana one-shot (through Collider):
“I was clueless. Thank God for Ray Liotta, God bless his soul. He was my mentor in making Goodfellas. He would put me on my mark. You can see, he drags me through. I just followed Ray, really. And it’s true, it’s been one of the great steadicam shots in movie history, so I was lucky.”
What This Means For Goodfellas’ And Liotta’s Legacy
Liotta Helped Scorsese Pull Off The Film’s Most Dazzling Shot
There could also be no extra well-known oner in film historical past than Goodfellas’ iconic Copacabana monitoring shot, by which the steadicam follows Liotta and Bracco from their arrival on the membership, down into the bowels of the institution, and up once more to the primary flooring, the place employees plop down a desk for the well-connected Henry Hill and his very impressed date Karen.
“Then He Kissed Me” by the Crystals provides the correct notice of giddy romance to the much-studied shot.
Now it comes out that Liotta did extra than simply hit his personal marks for that shot, he additionally made certain Bracco stayed on hers. By Bracco’s personal admission, she was “clueless” whereas making Goodfellas, the primary main film by which she performed a major function. Liotta’s mentorship looks like it was invaluable to Bracco, who put in her personal memorable efficiency as Karen Hill, Henry’s sometimes-combative however always-loyal partner.
Our Take On Liotta Serving to Bracco On Goodfellas
Her “Cluelessness” Really Made The Copacabana Shot Higher
Karen is meant to be totally blown away by the expertise of coming into the unique Copacabana by the again method, and having employees plunk down a complete desk for her and Henry, full with lamp. Plainly Bracco’s dizzy reactions through the shot should not fully because of performing. The actor could have been legitimately disoriented whereas making the extremely sophisticated oner, but when so, it labored completely for the character at that second.
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If Liotta was nearly actually dragging Bracco by means of the Copacabana shot, then that labored completely for the film as effectively, as Karen had no concept the place she was going, and needed to belief Henry to information her by means of the maze-like membership inside, previous characters busying themselves with the day-to-day of the venue, together with the prepare dinner employees, whom Karen and Henry should weave by means of as they traverse the kitchen.
Liotta appears to have offered a guiding affect for Bracco by means of quite a lot of Goodfellas, contributing to the film’s success along with his mentorship in addition to his performing, and serving to his co-star nab one of many movie’s six Oscar nominations (it famously misplaced Greatest Image to Dances With Wolves, whereas Bracco misplaced Greatest Supporting Actress to Whoopi Goldberg).
Supply: Collider
Goodfellas
10/10
Launch Date
September 19, 1990
Runtime
145 minutes
