Ray Liotta receives posthumous Emmy Nomination for Black Bird
Ray Liotta has received an Emmy nomination more than one year after his death.
Liotta was posthumously given the nod for his role as Big Jim Keene in Dennis Lehane's Apple TV+ series Black Bird. The true crime series follows the life of serial killer Larry Hall, played by Paul Walter Hauser.
Black Bird piled up a total of four nominations. Walter Hauser was nominated alongside Liotta in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category, while Taron Egerton is up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. The series also earned a nod for Outstanding Cinematography For a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
The show follows Egerton's Jimmy Keene, who is offered a deal to get out of his prison sentence early if he can elicit a confession from Hall. Liotta played his father. "I developed a very special bond with him," Egerton previously told EW of his costar. "He just brought this level of focus and tenderness and vulnerability to the part that was just gorgeous." Egerton added that many of Liotta's scenes "are kind of the heart of the show, really. It's a very dysfunctional relationship, but it is one that's full of love. And Ray really brought that. And I absolutely adored working with him. It was one of the more special experiences of my career."
Liotta, known for both comedic and dramatic roles in films like Goodfellas and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, died in his sleep in May 2022 at the age of 67 from heart failure. This is his second Emmy nomination, following a 2005 win for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in ER.
"I am so grateful to the members of the Television Academy for honoring my Dad with this nomination," daughter Karsen Liotta said in a statement. "He was so incredibly proud of his performance in Black Bird, and it would mean the world to him to be nominated alongside Taron and Paul."
The nomination puts Liotta in a small group of actors who have received posthumous nominations, including Chadwick Boseman, Norm MacDonald, and Jessica Walter, all of whom were nominated in 2022. Anthony Bourdain, Carrie Fisher, Audrey Hepburn, Raul Julia, John Ritter, Fred Willard, Alice Pearce, and a few others have also received posthumous nominations.
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