Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Deadline
We all know Ray Liotta was most famous for his role in Goodfellas but the late actor also starred in Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie as none other than himself.
Liotta was just 67 years old when it was announced yesterday, 26 May 2022, that he had passed away. Deadline reports the actor had no known prior health issues at the time of his death. He is survived by fiancée Jacy Nittolo and daughter Karsen.
Although the actor had been on the Hollywood scene for a while, in 1990 Ray got his big acting break in Martin Scorsese’s crime classic Goodfellas. In the movie he played mobster Henry Hill but what you may not know is Liotta also starred in cult animated adventure Bee Movie in 2007.
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The late Ray Liotta’s Bee Movie character was none other than himself
Bee Movie follows the life of honey bee Barry B Benson, who tries to take legal action against humans after realising they sell and consume honey.
Liotta plays a fictionalised version of himself in Bee Movie as he wasn’t afraid to make jokes about himself. Protagonist Barry Benson takes Liotta’s character to court for his role in stealing the world’s honey supply. Liotta is the founder of a honey company, with his face and real name appearing on the front of his own-brand honey jars.
Barry starts his cross-examination by congratulating Liotta on his 2005 Emmy Award for drama series ER. Benson then says to Liotta: “I also see from your résumé that you’re devilishly handsome but with a churning inner turmoil that’s always ready to blow”.
This hilarious sequence shows how Liotta’s role blurs the lines of reality as Barry references Goodfellas and ER. It also shows Liotta playing himself in a satirical and antagonistic way, turning the villainous character into a firm fan favourite.
Liotta has spoken about how much he enjoyed taking part in Bee Movie. The actor posted on his official Facebook page in 2017: “A job I would love to do again and again is the voice in the Bee Movie with Jerry Seinfeld as the Bee.”
Take a look how much his character looked like the IRL Ray Liotta:
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Twitter pays tribute to Ray Liotta and remembers Bee Movie
According to reports from Thursday, 26 May, Ray Liotta died in his sleep while in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming his latest project, Dangerous Waters. Details surrounding the circumstances of his death have not been made public at this time. Fans have paid tribute to the actor on Twitter, remembering his role in Bee Movie.
One Twitter user let fans in on the fact that, in an early draft of Bee Movie, Ray Liotta wasn’t a one-off cameo. In fact, he was one of the biggest antagonists. After Barry ruins his honey brand empire, Liotta stalks him, trying to kill the bee numerous times
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Source: | This article originally belongs to The Focus
