When he was 30 years old, Ray Liotta scored the job actors dream of their entire lives—the leading role in a gangster flick directed by Martin Scorsese. After his debut as Henry Hill in Goodfellas, his career skyrocketed and he subsequently made over 60 films, including Field of Dreams, Copland and The Son of No One, the film he debuted on Sunday night as part of the Savannah Film Festival. He also accepted a Lifetime Achievement at the Trustees Theatre before the screening.
Earlier in the day, Liotta sat down with South and talked about his new film, his big break and his advice for budding actor and film professionals.

South magazine: What’s your number one piece of advice for students about to embark on a career in the film industry?

Ray Liotta: I think that they should continue studying. I think it’s important to keep honing your craft, so when the time does come you’re ready for it. There are some great teachers out there.

SM: You got your big break at 30 years old, what kept you motivated?

RL: Well, I started out doing a soap opera, so I was working, but I always just felt like something bigger was going to happen. And maybe it wasn’t happening when I wanted it to happen, but I’ve always studied. Even when I went out to Los Angeles, and I had this soap under my belt, I took my own advice and had a great teacher and just kept working at it, and working at it, working, waiting for the time. Cause if you hang in there long enough it’s going to happen. It just might not happen the way you want it.

SM: It happened to you in quite a big way.

RL: I had no preconceptions. You know, right away you want to go off and do a movie with Martin Scorsese. I was lucky enough to do that, but it took time. When it did happen to me, a lot of doors opened for me to do other movies. So that was good.

SM: What is it like to play such an iconic character so early in your career?

RL: Well, at the time it wasn’t. At the time it was just a movie that opened that some people appreciated and some people didn’t. It didn’t do huge business, but now after 25 years, or a little longer, it’s something that everybody knows. I have kids ten, twelve years old come up to me about it, and so either their dad or someone turned them on to it. It has a life that keeps going.

SM: What can people expect from Son of No One tonight?
RL: It’s with Channing Tatum and Al Pacino, myself, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, and it’s a really interesting cop drama. Something happens and the audience doesn’t know and they kind of have to put it all together, so it’s a little who done it. It’s really good.

SM: How do want the audience to react to the film?

RL: Just like all of them, to be entertained.

SM: It’s that simple?

RL: [Laughs] Yeah, yeah it is.

Check out the complete interview in an upcoming issue of South magazine.