Jennifer Lopez Pens Lengthy Tribute to Late 'Shades of Blue' Co-Star Ray Liotta
Jennifer Lopez is mourning the loss of her Shades of Blue "partner in crime" Ray Liotta. Liotta died in his sleep on May 26 while in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the movie Dangerous Waters. Following news of his death, Lopez, who starred alongside the late actor on the police drama from 2016 to 2018, joined other prominent members of Hollywood to pay emotional tribute.
In a lengthy message shared across her social media accounts, Lopez reflected on her relationship with Liotta, recalling how kindly he treated her children. In the post, the actress and singer wrote that "the first thing that comes to mind is he so was kind to my children." Lopez added that Liotta "was the epitome of a tough guy who was all mushy on the inside ... I guess that's what made him such a compelling actor to watch. The original Goodfella." Lopez went on to reflect on Shades of Blue, the series on which she starred as Det. Harlee Santos opposite Liotta's Lt. Matt Wozniak.
"We shared some intense moments on set those three years! When I first heard he took the job on Shades of Blue, I was thrilled, and the first time we walked on set to do our first scene together there was an electric spark and a mutual respect and we both knew this was going to be good," she wrote. "We enjoyed doing our scenes together and I felt lucky to have him there to work with and learn from. Like all artists he was complicated, sincere, honest and so very emotional."
Lopez shared that she will "always remember our time together fondly," adding, "like a raw nerve, he was so accessible and so in touch in his acting." Lopez concluded her post by sharing, "We lost a great today ... RIP RAY ... it's so sad to lose you what seems way too soon ... I will remember you always. Sending so much love and strength to your daughter Karsen, your family and all your loved ones."
Liotta, who made his acting debut in the late 1970s on Another World, passed away on Thursday. His death was first reported by Deadline. At this time, a cause of death has not been determined, though a source told TMZ there was no foul play suspected or anything suspicious about his death. Liotta is survived by his fiancée Jacy Nittolo and his daughter Karsen, whose mother is his ex-wife Michelle Grace.