Ray Liotta has never seen The Sopranos, but he did turn down a role on the show
The Many Saints Of Newark star promises he'll get around to it, sometime
TV News Ray Liotta
While he plays the dual roles of twin brothers Sal “Sally” Moltisanti and Aldo “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti in David Chase’s long-awaited Sopranos prequel movie, The Many Saints Of Newark, nobody here is calling Ray Liotta a Hollywood dick. Just making that clear. After all, this is Ray Liotta we’re talking about. Still, the acclaimed actor did tell Seth Meyers on Tuesday’s Late Night that he did take some revenge on his Newark co-star Alessandro Nivola when the Black Narcissus actor accidentally made the no-doubt terrifying mistake of actually socking Ray Liotta in the jaw during a fight scene.
“He got a little sloppy,” said Liotta of his fellow actor’s wayward punch, telling Meyers, in head-nodding Ray Liotta tough guy bonhomie, “I understand exactly where he was coming from. This is, like, a nice shot for him, and he wants to make it as real as possible.”
And while Nivola was suitably contrite in checking up on Liotta after the incident, Liotta ultimately took his vengeance merely by pretending that Nivola had busted Liotta’s jaw, a prospect that, one can only imagine, sent the younger actor to a very scary, “Oh shit, I just punched Ray Liotta” place in his mind. Still, all is forgiven, with Liotta telling Meyers he just wanted to make Nivola “sweat a little.” Ha ha ha… good one, Mr. Liotta.
As for his roles in The Many Saints Of Newark, Liotta told Meyers that, unlike most Ray Liotta films or TV shows, he’s actually seen it all the way through. “I usually don’t watch,” said Liotta of his own work—which, by the way, you’re missing out on some good stuff, Ray. But, he explained of the highly anticipated continuation of The Sopranos story, “This I really wanted to see.”
And speaking of things Ray Liotta wants to see, the actor told a surprised Meyers that he’s never actually seen The Sopranos. Okay, he’s seen an episode here and there, but, as he explained, “At that time, I just wasn’t really into sitting home and watching television,” which, fair enough. He’s Ray Liotta. “I will, eventually,” promised Liotta, possibly in deference to Sopranos creator Chase, somebody even Liotta seems to be a little wary of disappointing.
Saying of Chase’s on-set demeanor, “He’s very intense and knows what he wants, knows what he likes, and he’s not afraid to say it,” Liotta comically shushed Meyers’ shocked gasp at the actor’s lack of Sopranos knowledge. Especially since, as Meyers noted, he’s one of the very few Goodfellas actors who never went on to appear on the HBO series, and that Chase himself once took a train to the set of Hannibal to pitch a role for Liotta in person.
“Eh, I’ll let you know,” is how Liotta recalled his reaction to Chase’s proffered role, which is about the most Ray Liotta-esque response imaginable. Reminded by Meyers that the role of Ralph Cifaretto eventually went to Joe “Joey Pants” Pantoliano, who won an Emmy for playing arguably the biggest creep in the show’s history, Liotta shrugged, laughing, “I made the right move for him, and the right move for me.” Honestly, casting Liotta might have made that brutal final fight scene with James Gandolfini’s Tony more of a contest. (No offense to Mr. Pants.)
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Liotta is physically more imposing than Joey Pants, but Pantoliano has this “crazy fucker could up and do anything” vibe.
Yeah, I’m sure casting Pantoliano informed how the show wrote the character, but Ralphie’s twitchy energy and Napoleon complex meshed really well with the actor’s vibe. He was legit unsettling to watch.
I also wonder if they would have written the relationship with Janice
Yeah, a big part of the humor of that relationship (IMO) is how opposite Ralphie was from the “strong, silent type” that Tony claimed to idolize and now he’s having kinky sex with his sister.
Also kind of a non-sequitur, but one of my favorite line readings from the show was Ralphie denying killing Pie O My to an obviously unhinged Tony, but having to follow it up with “But so what if I did?” He ALWAYS had to have the last word.
And then his head ended up in a bowling ball bag.
As great a movie as The Matrix is, Pantoliano no doubt elevated it with his role as Cypher.
And Jimmy G in Memento! His best
Yeah that was probably for the best. Liotta is too intimidating for the little shit that is Ralph. I actually would’ve liked to see him as Feech La Manna, as great as Robert Loggia was (and maybe Liotta was too young to play that role ~20 years ago).
Loggia was also a little too old… watching him deliver a beatdown wasn’t the most exciting thing. His punches looked like Pee Wee pulling out the chain to lock his bike.
He might’ve been a good Phil Leotardo, but then we would’ve all missed Frank Vincent’s incredible performance.
I’ve only ever seen one episode of The Sopranos but it was The Pine Barrens. I can’t help feel it’s all downhill from there.
It is the best one, and also the best episode if you’re only going to see one as it stands alone so well. That said, the rest is definitely worth watching, too.
I also have never seen the Sopranos
I’m watching it now for the first time ever. It is really good.
It’s a big gap in my media knowledge!
I’ve seen maybe one or two episodes because everyone insists that it’s great. I’m sure it is but I was just never hooked in by the romanticization of mafioso type shows and movies.. I’ve seen all the Godfathers and Goodfellas and Casino and the like but never really got out of them what the masses did. Never watched Boardwalk Empire. I’m sure Steve Buscemi’s great.
At least I know why I don’t like those shows/movies or at the very least am indifferent towards them. I’ve tried to get friends to watch Breaking Bad for years with no avail and they don’t even know why they won’t give it a try but I get it.
Mmm I wouldn’t exactly say the Sopranos romanticizes mob life, I’d say it’s the opposite.
While I agree with you, I cannot tell you how many people I know who watched the Sopranos and inexplicably came away idolizing the characters and their behavior. There is a large segment of the population that is simply too dumb to be trusted with television.
People really are truly dumb then, I can’t even say how many times they showed that this lifestyle ruins the family member’s lives. Whether it’s massive money issues or just dealing with the feds, or even when they die.
100%. I don’t think it was people so much wanting to be actual mobsters as it was to pretend they were mobsters, ape that behavior, etc. Casual threats of violence, conspicuous consumption, acting like there’s some “code” of behavior that they’re honoring and defending. Walk into any boardwalk shop on the Jersey shore and you’ll see the posters, the t-shirts. It’s a well crafted, interesting show but for a lot of dickheads it became one more piece of fodder for macho bullshit. The last time I made this argument someone in the greys got on my case about “oh so you’re blaming Sopranos for causing violence?” No, dipshit. Anyone watching the show who gets it in their head that it would be totally cool and badass to bash a strippers head into a guardrail was bound to snap anyway. But I do think it helped influence the flavor of the asshole you’re dealing with, so to speak.We have a family friend who basically thinks he’s a Tough Guy. I despise this dude, but he’s married to someone who has been near and dear to my parents for decades. The dude is a gross pig and is basically Paulie Walnuts, but with a mustache and dumber. Countless stories of asshole behavior. But he’s also taken a shining to my dad. So he says shit to my dad like “You’re protected. If anyone ever messes with you, just know, you are protected.” And my dad is like “What the hell does that mean? Protected from who? I’m a retired engineer. Who is going to mess with me?” coming away nervous. Another time at this doofus’s birthday he started introducing my dad to people as his “consigliere”. My dad was like “please stop.”
Lots of great points you’ve made here honestly. I can see where you’re coming from when it comes to people going “Oh yeah this dude did this super badass thing and I want to be that guy!” Though in the case of Ralphie and Tracey (sp?) I would say that wanting to be him in that instance would just make somebody look like a psychopath. Some people really have issues understanding that shows like this is fictional and not something to emulate.
Thanks – and to be clear, I agree with you that an honest, objective reading (viewing?) of the Sopranos does not romanticize the mob. I’ve vaguely remember reading that David Chase himself was vexed that people didn’t get that.
There’s a TON of positive and deep commentary on Italian-American stereotypes and gangster movies.
This is the worst criticism of media I have ever seen. You sound like a satanic panic freak from the 80s who is using personal stories that are probably made up to imply that watching a show turns people evil. This stuff is so depressing because it only sees culture as an analysis for life and society.
Who fucking cares omg art is more than people you dislikes interpretation of it. This shit is so fucking annoying because it facilitates that culture is the only means of analysis and it sucks. Tony is an awful piece of shit and the devil, but if you just see the show as him being like Walter white you miss a fundamental aspect of it, which is this idea if being at the end of the promised lands and how that effects everyone around you. The first season is also possibly the worst even tho it is still excellent.
I’m different I took time to get through about 6 episodes of BB. Just couldn’t get into it. Don’t know what it was just could never get that deep into it. Never watched Sopranos but watched all the big mafia movies and loved all of them. Boardwalk empire I watched all the way through but you’re not missing anything if you choose to never watch it. Had some great moments but was pretty slow and somewhat dull throughout except for the 1st season
But at least you checked it out. People like different things. I may go back and try re-watching Sopranos and eventually Boardwalk Empire. I grew up near the Jersey shore and had to deal with enough guido’s and people who like to talk and think they were mafioso’s for attention and respect. Most of them were just sad pieces of shit.
Hey, you can’t let those Eye-talians in NJ ruin great crime films for you!Sincerely, Someone who lives on Lawn Eyeland and knows the exact people you’re talking about.
It’s not great because of the mob stuff— that part is good and it makes the show fun to watch but it’s not what makes it great… I mean there’s not a lot of new ground covered other than portraying the mafia as becoming increasingly irrelevant and unviable which itself is more a comment on the American system and way of life, as all great mob movies are. The Sopranos is great because it’s a show that truly understands and portrays depression like nothing else I’ve ever seen, and not in a way that’s all suffering and sadness but the highs and lows. It’s also one of those shows that really nails the experience of being part of a family and not in a sentimental way. Last but not least it’s a TV series that justifies the medium and uses the passage of time to full advantage… The characters age and we feel the weight of age and all it entails which is something pretty rare on TV, where most shows don’t use that as they should and try to keep the timeline blurry.
I agree 100%. It’s about 100 different things and “the mafia” is only one of those. It’s about a man and a family in a certain lifestyle/life situation and looks at how they manage it given their mental health capabilities. It could be about a pilot or anything else.
As someone who recently watched the series for the first time, I will recommend that you don’t plan on binge watching it. It’s too intense for more than a couple episodes per day, and you’ll want to reflect on each one for a bit before moving on to the next.
Just watch the first season. It’s really the only necessary one as the following five seasons are essentially just repeating that tight story over and over until it sort of just ends…
Ha ha ha… good one, Mr. Liotta.You’re a really funny guy!
So we’ve gone from Kinja not showing us links to where folks replied to Kinja not notifying us when we get our precious stars? Jesus Christ.
How do you actually click on specific comment links from the notifications page? When I try to go to responses/likes, it always just brings me to the top of the story
You can’t! It’s fucking insane how Kinja took a system that functioned and decided, multiple times now, to just make it worse for no fucking reason.
I know this isn’t the role they’re talking about, but you always hear how Ray Liotta was a candidate to play Tony, and Lorraine Bracco was top pick for Carmela.That would have made The Sopranos basically Goodfellas: The Series. How long would that have lasted, 8 episodes?
CARMELLA WHAT DID YOU DO CARMELLA!
One reason James Gandolfini is great in the role is because, intentionally or not, he’s got this little kid cadence or timbre to his adult voice which fits completely with the (partially) impulse driven character.
I think Liota would have been a terrible Ralphie, do you really think he could pull off that hair piece? Think again.