March is the month in which we usually induct members of the League of Themselves, mostly celebrities, into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame. (Of course, in 2009 for the tenth anniversary of the Hall, we inducted someone every month from the League. I think it was Hugh Hefner for March - Playboy bunnies -> March Hare. Heh heh.... ahem.)
But there could be a long line for those entries as celebrities appearing as their fictional televersions are a staple in sitcoms especially. Therefore, I'll get four in at least this month as the Friday Hall of Famers.
From Wikipedia:
Raymond Allen Liotta; born December 18, 1954) is an American actor, film producer, and voice actor.
He also starred as Lieutenant Matt Wozniak in the television drama 'Shades of Blue' (2016–2018).
- Christmas? Christmas! (2001)
From the IMDb:
Maya meets a handsome celebrity who loves Christmas even more than her, to the point of obsession.
Ray Liotta:
Everyone thinks I'm like my character in Goodfellas, but in real life, I'm more like my character in "Operation Dumbo Drop".
You don't get it, do you? You think I make movies because I like making movies? I just do it to pay for Christmas! I live for this holiday, and now it's over! What, now I'm supposed to go back to Hollywood, be an actor for twelve months? Not me! Not this Ray Liotta!
From the IMDb:
Ray Liotta is back and he's obsessed with Maya. He even vows to give up show business for her, but can't adjust to normal life.
Ray Liotta:
I don't want to be a celebrity anymore.
I just want to do boring, ordinary boyfriend stuff.
Nina Van Horn:
Then you, sir, have hit the soulmate lottery.
Remember in Hannibal when Hannibal made me eat my own brain? This is worse. Because it's not my brain this time, Maya. It's my real heart.
Nina Van Horn:
You're a moron, Ray.
Ray Liotta:
This is great. Just a couple of regular people calling each other morons.
- Playdates (2016)
From the IMDb:
The Dunphy kids make a last-minute birthday surprise for Mitchell, and run into Ray Liotta.
MITCHELL PRITCHARD:
Oh, my god.
You're Ray Liotta.
LUKE DUNPHY:
Wow.
He really is a big fan.
He even knows the name of her gardener.
MITCHELL:
Ah.
"Goodfellas"? "Something Wild"? - "Field of Dreams"?
ALEX DUNPHY:
"Field of Dreams."
Never seen it.
RAY LIOTTA:
Okay,
HALEY DUNPHY:
We're really not that old.
MITCHELL:
Look, Ray Liotta is a very fine actor, and we have taken up enough of his time.
LIOTTA:
Stop saying my full name like you have to keep telling them who I am.
HALEY:
So, wait -- you live with Barbra Streisand?
LIOTTA:
Y-y-you got the map.
HALEY:
Yeah. (He takes the map from her)
LIOTTA:
She lived here for about-#
You think the bastards would update these things to reflect the current movie-star owners. (Hands back the map)
HALEY:
Thank you.
MITCHELL:
Come on, kids.
We're very sorry to have bothered you.
LIOTTA:
No, no, no.
I don't want you to leave empty-handed.
Come on in for a selfie.
Oh.
All right.
LIOTTA:
When you see my movies later, you're gonna realize that this is a special moment.
Come on.
And "cheeeeese"! Cheese! See? That's an old actor's trick for a perfect smile.
Except you and I are smiling.
You guys aren't smiling.
W-what's the matter?
HALEY:
It's not you, Mr. Liotta.
We just really feel like we let our uncle down.
We were supposed to plan a special day for his birthday, and we totally flaked.
ALEX:
We're so sorry.
We tried to figure out where to take you, and we know how much you love Barbra Streisand.
You always give us the most awesome gifts.
LUKE:
We suck.
MITCHELL:
Don't say that.
I kind of figured you didn't have anything by the second verse of the omelet dance.
HALEY:
Hey, I've had no training.
MITCHELL:
But then I saw how hard you were trying to make me happy, and I just love hanging out with you guys.
Plus, I did get to meet Ray Lio-- Ray.
You're also gonna meet Barbra.
MITCHELL:
What? No.
LIOTTA:
I've been meaning to go by her house anyway.
I've got a bunch of her mail.
MITCHELL:
Oh, you don't have to do that.
LIOTTA:
No, no, no, no.
You remind me of -- of someone that I loved when I was a kid.
I had a funny uncle, too.
MITCHELL:
Oh.
Great News- Early Retirement (2018)
From the IMDb:
Diana St. Tropaz returns to tell the staff of "The Breakdown" that Fenton Pelt will drop the lawsuit if Chuck delivers a humiliating on-air apology and resigns from news forever.
KATIE WENDELSON:
Mom, you know everyone in New Jersey, don't you?
CAROL WENDELSON:
Not everyone! I did have brunch a couple of times with Ray Liotta,
but it was a big group, and we never sat very close to each other.
But in order to track down Fenton Pelt, Carol and Katie visit Ray Liotta to find somebody else who could lead them to Pelt.
Anthony's been in hiding for years.
I would never tell a stranger his whereabouts.
But anything for Angie's cousin's nun's deli man's friend.
This is his mother's address.
And that’s when Liotta remembered where he knew Carol from….
Hey! You were sitting four people away from me at brunch.
CAROL:
Yes!
LIOTTA:
You didn't pay your bill.
CAROL:
Run!
And this just in, breaking news!
This post was published on March 8, 2019. Just a few hours before it went online, Liotta was referenced in another TV show which is added to his tally.
'The Big Bang Theory'
"The Conference Valuation" (2019)
From the IMDb:
Wolowitz is in charge of the kids while Bernadette and Penny are in San Diego for a pharmaceutical sales convention.
While at the San Diego conferencePenny pointed out that the booth next to theirs had a lot of visitors. Bernadette noticed that it was because it was the Chantix booth and Ray Liotta was there signing autographs until two.
His membership in the Hall for his Main Toobworld qualifications does not depend on this appearance. But I would argue for its validity because he is presented in the Chantix commercial seen in fictional situations. And so this would also mean Liotta is a serlinguist, able to talk directly to the audience in the Trueniverse. However, I’m just adding it for flavor:
As someone who lost his father to smoking, I think Liotta is doing a great thing here in showing others that it is possible to quit smoking. But I have seen online parodies of this commercial. If anything, those belong in some alternate Toobworld – Skitlandia perhaps.
I’m also adding this particular talk show appearance just for the flavor it adds to his presence in the TV Universe of Earth Prime-Time:
So Ray Liotta’s televersion is confirmed in Earth Prime-Time enough times to qualify in the Crossover Hall. But as an added bonus, he’s even appeared as himself in the Tooniverse!
Phineas and Ferb
- What a Croc!/Ferb TV (2012)
I can’t guarantee how long these YouTube offerings will last, so enjoy 'em while you can! But just in case, here's another screenshot:
"SAY CHEESE!"
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