Martin Scorsese “shocked and devastated” by the death of Ray Liotta

The death of Ray Liotta is particularly hard to swallow for director Martin Scorsese.

If the announcement of the death of the actor Ray Liotta has created a shockwave in the film industry and among his fans, Martin Scorsese seems particularly shaken among his former colleagues, saying he is “in shock and devastated” by the news.

The 79 years old director shared incredible moments directing Liotta in Goodfellasand then sharing with him the amazing success of the film after its release in 1990.

“I’m absolutely shocked and devastated by the sudden, unexpected death of Ray Liotta. He was so uniquely gifted, so adventurous, so courageous as an actor. Playing Henry Hill in Goodfellas was a tall order, because the character had so many different facets, so many complicated layers, and Ray was in almost every scene of a long, tough shoot. He absolutely amazed me, and I’ll always be proud of the work we did together on that picture. My heart goes out to his loved ones, and it aches for his loss, way too early.” Scorsese tells People.

Ray Liotta, who also starred in Field of Dreams, Cop Land, Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story, The Iceman, The Place Beyond The Pines, Blow, Hannibal and Operation Dumbo Drop, died at the age of 67 in his sleep in the Dominican Republic on May 26.