What Led to Ray Liotta’s Laugh in ‘Goodfellas’? The Actor’s Facial Expression Became a Memorable Meme

Ray Liotta is remembered through his outstanding performances, connections to some of the most fantastic cinema, and of course, memes. 

On May 26, 2022, at 67 years old, Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Liotta was in the Dominican Republic when he passed away. Beyond his prolific status as an actor, Liotta has become an online internet sensation. 

The widely-known meme is of the actor laughing from his still-most famous role as mob leader Henry Hill in “Goodfellas.” This scene in which the meme stems is seen as one of the most memorable in the mafia subgenre.

Ray Liotta on talking with Willie Geist on “Sunday Today” on September 26, 2026. | Source: Getty Images

Liotta’s character Henry laughs with several men in this historical scene as they all share funny anecdotes. Henry then tells Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci, that he is funny.

Suddenly, tension arises as Tommy defensively asks him, “Funny How?” as an awkward exchange occurs between the two. 

Eventually, the tension releases as they realize that Tommy is still joking. This leaves everyone in an uproar again, with Liotta’s memorable laugh coming back into the picture. 

THE ICONIC SCENE

While Henry certainly comes across as a rugged individual in the film, the actor himself said that his personality is entirely different.

He explained that he had never engaged in any fight with another person. The only surprising similarity he and Henry have is that this character’s laugh was also Liotta’s genuine laugh – or at least partially. 

While memes of this laugh are circulating the internet now, it has been a consistent staple on the internet. Comedian Eddie Pozos shared it last year on Twitter, writing, “The Ray Liotta laugh is legendary #SopranosNewark].”

IN WHICH MOVIES DID RAY LIOTTA PLAY? 

While many people associate Liotta with “Goodfellas,” he has played mountains of notable roles. True to his criminal drama genre, the actor played alongside Johnny Depp in the 2001 film “Blow,” where he plays a drug smuggler’s dad. 

There was also 2002’s Narc, where he played one partner of a police detective duo on the hunt for a cop killer. Jason Patric played his partner. 

This actor also played a corrupt detective Peter Deluca with Bradley Cooper as a co-star in yet another crime drama. This character was written specifically for Liotta. 

One more recent movie he acted in was the highly acclaimed “Marriage Story” as the lawyer to Adam Driver’s character who wants to divorce his wife, played by Scarlett Johansson.

FOLLOWING HER FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

Now Liotta is passing the stick down to the next generation with his daughter Karsen Liotta walking in his well-worn and oversized shoes. 

The actress Michelle Grace is her mom, and so with both of her parents working in this industry, it is unsurprising that she has followed suit. 

His daughter, twenty-three-year-old Karsen Liotta, has always loved acting and has a natural knack for the craft. So far, she has acted in multiple films such as “Teenage Badass” and “Hubie Halloween.” She also played in a movie called “Shades of Blue with her father.”