Site last updated: Sunday, April 5, 2026

Log In

Reset Password
MENU
Butler County's great daily newspaper

People

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese has rave reviews for his experiences working with Ray Liotta.

The Queens-born director paid tribute to Liotta, who died last month at age 67, in a new piece for The Guardian, writing that the actor “never missed a beat” on the set of their classic mobster movie “Goodfellas.”

Bronx lawmaker demands more public input for redistricting

“We had many plans to work together again but the timing was always off, or the project wasn’t quite right. I regret that now,” Scorsese wrote.

“When I watched Ray as the divorce lawyer in Marriage Story – he’s genuinely scary in the role, which is precisely why he’s so funny – I remember feeling that I wanted to work with him again at this point in his life, to explore the gravity in his presence, so different from the young, sprightly actor he was when I met him.”

The Newark-born Liotta portrayed real-life New York City gangster Henry Hill in 1990′s “Goodfellas,” starring in a cast that also included Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Lorraine Bracco.

Scorsese remembers being impressed by Liotta’s supporting performance in “Something Wild,” but says he believes he knew Liotta was the right man to lead “Goodfellas” after he observed the actor react with “quiet authority and a real elegance” when he got blocked by security at the Venice Film festival.

“On Goodfellas, we were working improvisationally in most scenes, and many members of the team had known each other and worked together for years, including my mother and my father,” Scorsese wrote. “Into that walked the new guy, Ray Liotta, and he never missed a beat. It felt like we’d worked together for years.”

A cause of death has not been released for Liotta, who also portrayed Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 baseball classic “Field of Dreams” and had a prominent role in last year’s“Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark.”

In their own tributes to Liotta last month, Pesci said, “God is a Goodfella, and so is Ray,” while De Niro said, “He is way too young to have left us. May he rest in peace.”

———

Kate Bush is enjoying her ‘Stranger Things’ moment: ‘It’s all really exciting!’

Kate Bush loves “Stranger Things” almost as much as “Stranger Things” fans love Kate Bush.

The English singer-songwriter, whose music features prominently in Season 4 of the hit Netflix series, responded enthusiastically Sunday to the recent wave of support from listeners — old and new.

The 63-year-old musician’s statement comes about a week after the fourth chapter of “Stranger Things” premiered and her 1985 track “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” began climbing the music charts. Without giving too much away, the eerie tune plays a key role throughout the season as Max Mayfield’s (Sadie Sink) favorite song.

“You might’ve heard that the first part of the fantastic, gripping new series of ‘Stranger Things’ has recently been released on Netflix,” Bush wrote in a message posted on her website.

“It features the song, ‘Running Up That Hill’ which is being given a whole new lease of life by the young fans who love the show — I love it too!”

As of Saturday, “Running Up That Hill” was No. 1 on Spotify’s Top 50 and No. 3 on Apple Music — competing with singles from modern hitmakers such as Bad Bunny and Harry Styles. The throwback jam makes its “Stranger Things” debut in the Season 4 premiere before serving as a major plot device in the fourth episode, which centers on Max, a member of the show’s teen ensemble.

The second half of the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” a sci-fi series set in the 1980s, will be available to stream July 1 on Netflix. Other retro cuts on the Season 4 soundtrack include the Beach Boys’ rendition of “California Dreamin’” (originally performed by the Mamas & the Papas), “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads and “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive.

“It’s all really exciting!” Bush continued in her statement. “Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the song. I wait with bated breath for the rest of the series in July.”

———

Shakira

One of the world’s most powerful celebrity couples, Shakira and Gerard Piqué, have called it quits after 12 years together.

The Colombian pop sensation, 45, and the Spanish soccer phenom, 35, confirmed their split Saturday in a joint statement obtained by CNN. They share two sons: 7-year-old Sasha Piqué Mebarak and 9-year-old Milan Piqué Mebarak.

“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” read the statement, which was also released in Spanish. “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we request respect for (our) privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”

Shakira and Piqué began dating in 2010 after reportedly meeting on the set of a music video for her song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” the official anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

At the time, Piqué had recently launched his tenure with FC Barcelona, the soccer team he has played for since 2008. And Shakira had just released her hit studio album “She Wolf” in 2009.

In a 2014 interview with The Associated Press, Shakira credited the 2010 World Cup with introducing her to “the love of my life.”

“If it wasn’t for the World Cup, my son Milan would not be here,” she added.

The pair announced the birth of their first child, Milan, in January 2013 before welcoming his baby brother, Sasha, in January 2015.

———

From combined wire services

More in People

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

* indicates required
TODAY'S PHOTOS