Liotta happy not to play a tough guy

NEW YORK, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. actor Ray Liotta said he wanted to play the mayor in the new big-screen drama "Battle in Seattle" because he didn't have to be a tough guy for a change.

Liotta is best known for his roles in "Goodfellas," "Unlawful Entry," "Cop Land," "Hannibal" and "Wild Hogs."

"I got to wear a suit, play a mayor," Liotta told reporters in New York Wednesday when asked why he wanted a role in "Battle in Seattle," a film set against the backdrop of the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle.

"Everyone always thinks of me as playing these tough-guy things. So, it was just nice to play an older, more mature person who has a dilemma, that's going on with his city and himself," Liotta said. "(This) is a part I don't normally get. As I get older, maybe I'll get more parts like that where I'm not beating someone up or choking someone or yelling."

Liotta said he also has several big-screen comedies in the pipeline.

"I would have liked to have done them a long time ago. I did 'Muppets in Space' and that was kind of funny and 'Heartbreakers' was somewhat funny, but that's just how messed up this business is," Liotta said.