Elizabeth Banks has spoken up about working on Cocaine Bear alongside Ray Liotta before his death at the age of 67.
The grisly comic thriller was one of the final projects he worked on before he died in his sleep last May.
He played a drug kingpin alongside O’Shea Jackson Jr, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Keren Russell, and Alden Ehrenreich.
In a new interview, the filmmaker remembers having the “greatest attitude” on set and really enjoying stepping into the part.
‘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!’”


When the trailer for Cocaine Bear was released in December, it raised eyebrows among cinema enthusiasts and quickly went viral.
The film was inspired by the actual tale of a Colombian drug runner who dropped more than 70 pounds of cocaine in the Chattahoochee National Forest in 1985.
A bear walked onto the stash and ingested the narcotics before succumbing to an apparent overdose.
Much of the film is based on fabrication, with the on-screen beast embarking on a bloodthirsty rampage in search of more narcotics.
When asked what inspired her to take on the role of director, Banks replied that she had “great affection” 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.’
Liotta died just days after re-recording audio for the picture in post-production, according to the outlet.
Banks was among others who paid tribute to him after his death was announced, posting a black-and-white snapshot 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.