re: Boogie Nights… Goodfellas ripoff

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why didn't Ray Liotta have more success? He was great in Goodfellas. Is that just because of Scorsese making him look good?

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Nah - it's clear he had the goods - in fact, it's a "preselection" thing - you see how Marty generally picks high quality folks to work with.

When you have a gap in "consciousness" like that - sometimes we know (like RDJ), but I always suspect an "insurability" issue (either drugs/alcohol and/or a volatile nature that causes delays, disruptions and cost overruns) - unless there is a clear explanation the other way - i.e. focus on stage work, illness, focus on the family for a few years, etc.

That isn't the case with Liotta. He's worked - a lot. I think part of it is typecasting. He had some decent performances as villains and supporting roles, but just never captured the magic of Goodfellas - but who else did? Pesci was great in Casino (a de facto Goodfellas sequel) and My Cousin Vinny. But, never equaled what he did in Goodfellas.

Bobby is Bobby, but if Liotta was made by Marty, Bobby DAMNED sure was made by Marty - certainly 5 of his top 10 performances were directed by Marty.

So, there's that.