Was Ray Liotta sick? His condition before his death

Ray Liotta

Ray Liotta was one of the actors honored during the in Memoriam segment at the 2023 Oscars. Liotta died in late May 2022 in the Dominican Republic while filming Dangerous Waters. “They’ve touched our hearts,” John Travolta introduced the segment. “They’ve made us smile, and became dear friends who will always remain hopelessly devoted to.”

While accepting Liotta’s posthumous inclusion on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Liotta’s daughter, Karsen, said. “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.”

Liotta reportedly looked frail in the weeks before his death but didn’t seem ill

Ray Liotta didn’t seem ill in the weeks leading up to his death – that’s why his death seemed so sudden. Liotta died in his sleep in a hotel room he shared with his fiance, Jacy Liotto. 

Taron Egerton, Liotta’s co-star in Black Bird, said on Jimmy Kimmel Live that Liotta looked frail during filming. “I thought I’d leave him to it, give him his space, and across the room he sort of caught my eye and just stood up, walked towards me in a sort of frail way,” Egerton said

“He’s in ailing health in the show, and he just embraced me, and we stayed that way for a little while. It was kind of weird but really nice as well.”

A Dominican Republic resident speaking to The Daily Mail contradicted Egerton’s account, stating Liotta looked healthy when she took a selfie with him four days before he died. 

Liotta’s ditching of a smoking habit showed his commitment to good health. The actor appeared in several commercials for Chantix, a controversial stop-smoking pill. “I tried to quit smoking for years on my own,” he said. “I couldn’t do it. I needed help.”