A blockbuster movie’s future is greatly influenced by its casting choices. However, unexpected events can lead to iconic roles falling into the hands of actors one would not have expected to play them. One such intriguing story surrounds Ray Liotta’s casting as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s legendary crime drama Goodfellas.
With actors like Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino, this legendary 1990 biographical crime film might have turned out differently, as the makers wanted to include other legendary industry figures. Warner Bros. reportedly sought Tom Cruise for the part of Henry Hill, who was played by Liotta in the movie.
Scorsese and Cruise previously worked together on The Color of Money.
Well, Liotta convinced renowned producer Irwin Winkler to drop the idea of casting the Jack Reacher actor during an epic dinnertime negotiation.
Tom Cruise Almost Starred In Goodfellas?
Irwin Winkler, the well-known Goodfellas producer, and Ray Liotta had dinner together, and it was at this time that the latter was able to convince Winkler to drop the idea of casting Tom Cruise.
Winkler revealed to GQ magazine how Cruise and Madonna almost starred in Goodfellas:
“Marty [Martin Scorsese] wanted Ray [Liotta] very badly. Frankly I thought we could do a lot better, and I kept putting him off saying, ‘Let’s keep looking’. And then me and my wife were having dinner one night in a restaurant down in Venice, California, and lo and behold, Ray Liotta came over to me. He was in the same restaurant, quite by coincidence, and he asked if he could come talk to me.”
Goodfellas is frequently cited as one of the greatest films ever made, particularly in the gangster genre. The film’s director, Martin Scorsese, once remarked to Scraps from the loft:
“I was interested in breaking up all the traditional ways of shooting the picture. A guy comes in, sits down, exposition is given. So the hell with the exposition — do it on the voiceover, if need be at all. And then just jump the scene together. Not by chance. The shots are designed so that I know where the cut’s going to be. The action is pulled out of the middle of the scene, but I know where I’m going to cut it so that it makes an interesting cut.”
Martin Scorsese Recounted When He Knew Ray Liotta Would Be Perfect For Goodfellas
Though it was not his first role, the late Ray Liotta‘s Goodfellas is likely to be his most well-known. Martin Scorsese, the director of the movie, gave a lot of thought to who he wanted to play Henry Hill. He once revealed the precise moment he realized that Liotta was the ideal choice for the gangster role.
However, Scorsese initially had some doubts about casting Liotta even though he was aware of the late actor’s ability from his prior work. The Taxi Driver director admitted to Variety that their first encounter, which happened before the start of filming, put his concerns to rest, not during casting or even on set:
“I was staying at the Excelsior Hotel. I was crossing the lobby to do an interview and I saw Ray waving to me on the other side of the room — he was there with ‘Dominick and Eugene. He headed toward me to say hello and he was confronted by a phalanx of security. And… he handled it.”
But, in Scorsese’s opinion, the Field of Dreams actor handled the situation with the utmost gentility. The American-Italian film director went on to say:
“[Ray] reacted very quietly, very calmly, politely. He allowed them to observe their protocols and he defused the situation. He looked at me, I looked at him, we signaled to each other that we would talk at a more convenient moment, and we went our separate ways. I took a little more time to think about it, but I realize now that I was just going through the motions. That was when I knew he would be Henry Hill.”
The movie had a $25 million budget but made $47 million in revenue. Also, it received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, with Joe Pesci taking home the trophy for Best Supporting Actor.
In case you did not know, Ray Liotta died in his sleep on May 26, 2022, at the age of 67, while Dangerous Waters was being filmed.
You can stream GoodFella on the AMC+ Amazon Channel.
Source- GQ; Scraps from the loft; Variety
