In 1986, Ray Liotta made his acting debut in a box-office bomb. Three years later, Melanie Griffith landed him his big break

Ray Liotta’s first feature film, *The Lonely Lady*, was a critical and commercial failure, and he struggled to find another film role for three years. His breakthrough came when college friend Melanie Griffith helped him get an audition for Jonathan Demme’s *Something Wild*, a part that showcased his ability to bring menace to the screen.

Griffith was playing Lulu and wanted input on who would portray her husband, after a bad experience with a previous co-star. Demme auditioned Liotta and cast him as Ray Sinclair, Lulu’s dangerous ex-husband. The performance earned Liotta a Golden Globe nomination and helped set him on the path to playing Henry Hill in *Goodfellas*.