Jennifer Lopez leads tributes to Ray Liotta following unexpected passing of Goodfellas star

Ray Liotta, the terrific actor whose career breakout came in the 1990 Martin Scorsese crime classic Goodfellas after co-starring in Field of Dreams, has died ages 67.

Deadline reported that the actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film, Dangerous Waters. Tons of celebrities took to social media to pay their respect and many uploaded tributes to the late actor. One star to do just that was international superstar Jennifer Lopez, who took to her Instagram on Thursday to share a series of images and a lengthy post in memory of the actor.

Jennifer Lopez starred across Ray Liotta in 2016 action drama Shades of Blue. She began her post, "Ray was my partner in crime on Shades of Blue … the first thing that comes to mind is he was so kind to my children."

She continued: "Ray was the epitome of a tough guy who was all mushy on the inside … I guess that’s what made him such a compelling actor to watch. The original Goodfella. We shared some intense moments on set those three years! When I first heard he took the job on Shades of Blue, I was thrilled, and the first time we walked on set to do our first scene together there was an electric spark and a mutual respect and we both knew this was going to be good. We enjoyed doing our scenes together and I felt lucky to have him there to work with and learn from."

And added: "Like all artists he was complicated, sincere, honest and so very emotional. Like a raw nerve, he was so accessible and so in touch in his acting and I will always remember our time together fondly. We lost a great today … RIP RAY … it’s so sad to lose you what seems way to soon … I will remember you always. Sending so much love and strength to your daughter Karsen, your family and all your loved ones."

It is unknown at this time what caused the death of the actor, but it is assumed to be natural causes.