Thursday, January 9, 1997
FILM:
Interesting script, wide appeal lured actor to portray serial
killerBy Ricky Herzog
Daily Bruin Contributor
Some actors are lured into the business by the fame and fortune
that comes along with stardom. Others are attracted to acting in
order to express their thoughts and emotions.
But Ray Liotta was lured into acting by a pretty girl.
"I had decided to take theater in college, and I was in the line
for registration," recalls Liotta, "and then this very pretty girl,
like every actor’s story it seems, says, ‘Are you auditioning for
the play tonight?’ And they were doing ‘Cabaret.’ I didn’t care who
thought what, and I just did it."
Ray Liotta has come a long way since then. In this week’s new
action vehicle "Turbulence," the acclaimed star of such films as
"Goodfellas" and "Unlawful Entry" plays a serial killer that takes
control of an unpiloted 747. It is a much more physical and action-
oriented movie than most of his previous projects, and that is part
of what attracted him to this film.
"It was really an interesting, challenging role, and technically
speaking I’ve never been involved in something so huge," Liotta
says. "I’d never done a big action, special effects kind of movie.
I wanted to get involved in something that had broader appeal."
Along with the appeal and action this movie contains, it also
has something else alluring to an accomplished actor like Liotta
 an interesting script with good characters.
"It just seemed like a really interesting challenge because in
the beginning of the movie you never quite know what’s going on,"
says Liotta. "I thought it was intriguing that in a special effects
kind of movie that there was some sort of good character too."
In "Turbulence" Liotta plays the bad guy, but he actually feels
comfortable. Having played bad guys before he feels he knows how to
create dark and ominous characters. To keep these evil characters
from becoming caricatures he always focuses on understanding the
characters’ motives in order to keep them human.
"You take the script and you try to make it human and you take
everything seriously," says Liotta. "What I like about acting is
putting the puzzle together and just making it as logical as
possible. Why would somebody do this? The one thing that I wanted
to make logical was that is a human being."
Liotta focuses most of his energy on building his characters and
he rarely develops relationships with his various co-actors.
"It’s just too much energy to try to maintain a relationship,
especially in movies. I use somewhat of a method approach where I
like to distance myself especially if I’m playing someone (like the
character in ‘Turbulence’). I use whatever (method) works. The
ideal is to let your imagination do it and play make believe."
Though Liotta effectively uses his imagination to create his
characters, there are some days when it is difficult for him to be
motivated for his job.
"There are some times when it’s six in the morning and you have
to go choke somebody," Liotta says. "There are some days where
you’re just not in the mood to do it. I’m not in the mood to cry
today, well too bad, that’s my job. Sometimes you need tricks and
devices to do that."
Liotta has spent his career mastering these tricks and devices.
He has garnered praise and a Golden Globe nomination as a result of
his acting abilities, but despite the critical recognition he has
received, Liotta has stumbled upon the occasional negative
review.
When asked how he keeps from being demoralized by bad reviews,
Liotta jokes, "By not giving a shit about what people say," but
then after a pause says, "You move on. You’re doing it for yourself
and for the challenges that are at hand. But I refuse to lose my
head over (bad reviews) because there’s just as many people who
probably like the film."
FILM: "Turbulence" will be released this Friday.
Rysher Entertainment
Convicted serial killer Ryan Weaver (Ray Liotta) seeks to claim
his final victim, flight attendant Teri Halloran (Lauren Holly), in
the suspense thriller "Turbulence."Rysher Entertainment
Ray Liotta portrays convicted serial killer Ryan Weaver.