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“You're a pistol, you're really funny. You're really funny.” Studying acting at the University of Miami where he performed in musicals like Cabaret, Oklahoma and Sound of Music throughout the late 1970s, Ray Liotta decided to try his luck in New York City where he struggled as a bartender before landing a part in a soap opera that left him desperately wanting more. Frustrated with the daytime television role, he left the Big Apple and set out for Los Angeles where he made his film debut in The Lonely Lady in 1983. Three years later, he was finally a household name thanks to his Golden Globe-nominated performance in Something Wild.

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Throughout the 1980s, Liotta continued to land bigger and bigger roles in films like Dominick and Eugene and Field of Dreams only to snag the biggest role of his career in 1990 as Henry Hill in the classic mafia film, Goodfellas. Since then, he has established an outstanding reputation in Hollywood for his on-screen talents with leading and supporting roles in films like Narc, Unlawful Entry and Killing Them Softly. Over the years, the New Jersey native has also proven his talents in television with appearances in The League and ER, the latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance.

Staying incredibly busy in Hollywood over the last four decades with a string of films like The Devil’s in the Details, Muppets Most Wanted and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Liotta quickly learned that he wasn’t one of the few celebrities who could skate by and get plastic surgery without getting noticed. In fact, he walked the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January 2016 where his new look was universally panned as jaws dropped to the floor in complete horror. Few had anything nice to say about Liotta’s obvious time under the knife with headlines reading, “What the hell happened to Ray Liotta’s face?” Fans were just as harsh when they took to social media with posts like, “It’s sad to see Ray Liotta dilute his immense talent and enigmatic looks with silicon fakery.” Ouch!

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People referred to Liotta’s new look as one of the worst plastic surgery disasters of all time especially since it failed to improve his image and shattered the confidence he had left after decades of battling skin issues and acne scarring. With the criticism undeniably taking its toll, some of Liotta’s most loyal fans couldn’t hide their disappointment in the Wild Hogs star’s new look after years of embracing the scars that had made their favorite actor look more rugged and intimidating on the silver screen. If only Liotta had embraced that opinion himself.

By 2016, Liotta’s iconic scars and wrinkles across his cheeks and forehead were long gone and left many to wonder what kind of work he had done and how much the botched procedure (or procedures) set him back. Of course, no one asked nicely and, if words could pack a punch, Liotta would likely have two black eyes after critics coming from all walks of life held nothing back with stinging comments like, “Liotta’s face looks like the surface of perfectly cooked pasta.”

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Refusing to give into the criticism or even acknowledge it with any response, Liotta continued life as usual and went on to star in NBC’s newest series, Shades of Blue. But, instead of his acting talent taking center stage and earning much deserved praise, the attention was solely on his face. One critic wrote, “One of the most fascinating aspects of Shades of Blue is the ever-shifting shapes of Ray Liotta’s face caused by his weird plastic surgery—one of the many things to look out for.” Another review put it milder, “Liotta’s face looks disturbingly smooth these days.”

With Liotta remaining tight-lipped about his new look, it’s highly unlikely that we will ever see one of Hollywood’s toughest guys confess to going under the knife. Fortunately, not everyone is waiting for a plastic surgery confession from the New Jersey native as the rumors have only boosted his career—remember, there’s no such thing as bad publicity! In fact, Liotta is doing so well for himself that he just might be getting the last laugh in Hollywood.

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In addition to making a recent appearance on the hit television series Modern Family, the 61-year-old Liotta is enjoying regular work as the narrator of The Making of the Mob. He is also making waves opposite Jennifer Lopez in Shades of Blue with the series recently renewed for a second season. But, that’s not all. His new look seems to be working its magic on the silver screen with three more films set to release in 2017 including Sticky Notes and Alone. So, how will his smooth face fair at the box office—as a silver screen success or an epic flop? We’ll have to wait and see!