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Ray Liotta was posthumously honored with the 2,749th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, after he died last May at the age of 67. The Emmy Award-winning actor’s family, including his 24-year-old daughter, Karsen,were in attendance at the unveiling, during which she accepted the honor on her father’s behalf, EW is reporting.
“Thank you so much, Dad, for this rain,” Karsen joked during the ceremony, which was held on a cold and raining day in Los Angeles. She then read a letter from her father’s Goodfellas director, Martin Scorsese, who celebrated his performance in the film and his talents as an actor.
Karsen then offered her own tribute to her father, saying, “I’m so touched to be accepting this honor on behalf of my dad. I couldn’t be more proud of him. He was a one-of-a-kind actor and the best friend, brother, and father anyone could have asked for. I lucked out with you.”
The tribute at the ceremony came after Karsen previously posted a tribute to her late father a little over a week after he died. “Those who knew him, loved him. You are the best Dad anyone could ask for. I love you. Thank you for everything,” she captioned an old photo of the pair on Instagram. In the photo, she can be seen smiling as her dad holds her and looks into the camera.
Besides his daughter, several of Liotta’s famous collaborators were also in attendance. Those colleagues included Taron Egerton, who recently played the Golden Globe Award-nominated actor’s son in the crime drama miniseries Black Bird. Also in attendance was Elizabeth Banks, who directed Liotta in one of his final movie performances, the new horror comedy, Cocaine Bear.
While speaking about his late colleague at the ceremony, Egerton revealed g that they didn’t know each other for long. But the time they spent together was “very important to me.
“When I first met Ray, I was, frankly, a bit scared of him,” the Golden Globe Award-winning actor also said, adding that one thing “that made him so extraordinary to watch was his unparalleled capacity for vulnerability and tenderness. It was this side of himself he first showed me when I stepped on the set of Black Bird to play his son two years ago.”
Egerton called his Black Bird scenes the “best acting of my career,” and credited Liotta for that achievement. “He was that kind of rare artist that brought all of himself into his work, all of his intensity, all of his vulnerability and, in the case of our show, all of his love.
“I was deeply inspired by Ray, he was the epitome of an actor’s actor… And most importantly, he made everyone around him better,” the SAG Award-nominated actor added.
Banks spoke at the ceremony following Egerton’s speech, during which she elaborated on the honor of working with the late actor. She stated that he inspired confidence in her as a helmer while she directed him in Cocaine Bear.
The filmmaker shared a special bond with Liotta from the time they worked together on the 2011 film The Details. “I always admired his acting, but I genuinely enjoyed him as a human. Although he’s known for playing tough guys, I found him to be charming and a little mischievous, which made him interesting as both an actor and a man, and truly perfect for Cocaine Bear,” the actress-director said.
“If you have a Ray in your life, you’re lucky. I love you so much. Thank you for your work and the imprint you left on me and all of those who love you. Everyone deserves a Ray in their life,” Banks concluded.
During an interview with Variety, the helmer also mentioned that Liotta “came to Ireland with the best attitude. He had a great time. He came for ADR and saw the film, and was like, ‘Oh, my God, the bear looks so good!'”
The Many Saints of Newark actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic. He was engaged to fiancée Jacy Nittolo, who was with him when he passed.