Elizabeth Banks has opened up on working with Ray Liotta on Cocaine Bear, before his death at 67.
The Goodfellas icon died in his sleep last May, with the gory comedy thriller one of the last projects that he worked on.
He had a scene-stealing role as a drug kingpin, alongside O’Shea Jackson Jr, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Keri Russell and Alden Ehrenreich.
Discussing his time on set in a new interview, the filmmaker recalled that he had the ‘best attitude’ and really enjoyed jumping into the role.
‘He came to Ireland with the best attitude. He had a great time,’ she told Variety.
‘He came for ADR and saw the film, and was like, “Oh, my God, the bear looks so good!’”
Cocaine Bear raised eyebrows among film fans when the trailer was unveiled in December, and instantly went viral.
The flick was inspired by a true story of a drug runner from Colombia, who dumped more than 70lbs of cocaine in the Chattahoochee National Forest in 1985.
A bear happened to stumble across the haul and devoured the drugs, before sadly dying of an apparent overdose.
A lot of the movie stems from fiction, with the on-screen animal embarking on a blood-thirsty massacre for more drugs.
Discussing what led her to jumping on board as director, Banks revealed that she felt ‘a deep sympathy’ for the bear.
‘I really felt like this is so fucked up that this bear got dragged into this drug run gone bad and ends up dead,’ she added. ‘I felt like this movie could be that bear’s revenge story.
‘It had to feel like a NatGeo documentary about a bear that did cocaine. It couldn’t be something silly. It couldn’t seem animated in any way.’
According to the publication, Liotta died just days after he re-recorded audio for the film in post-production.
Banks was among those who paid tribute after the news of his death broke, sharing a black-and-white photo on Instagram.
‘I had a special bond with Ray Liotta,’ she wrote beside the upload. ‘We met on a little film, The Details and he blew me away. I always admired his acting but I genuinely enjoyed him as a human. He was a charmer.
‘We have been collaborating on Cocaine Bear these past few months. I just saw him, hugged him, heard about his summer travel plans.
‘When any actor of Ray’s caliber puts trust in you as a director, it’s a gift. But Ray gave me so much more. I had been told in the past by Hollywood producers that men wouldn’t follow me, that I couldn’t direct action because of that.
‘Ray’s respect for me as a director, actress and artist, as his boss on set, meant everything to me because if you can direct Henry Hill, you can do f**king anything in this town.’
Banks concluded the post: ‘I am so grateful Ray Liotta blessed my life. May he Rest In Peace.’
Cocaine Bear hits cinemas on February 24.
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