Mark Ruffalo - Movies, Biography, News, Age & Photos

Mark Ruffalo

Also known as:	Mark Alan Ruffalo
Occupation:	Actor • Producer
Born:	November 22, 1967
Birthplace:	Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States Of America
Spouse:	Sunrise Coigney

About

Mark Ruffalo is an American actor, activist and filmmaker. A three-time Academy Award nominee, he has appeared in over 50 films in a career spanning over two decades, both as a leading man and a supporting actor. An alumnus of the prestigious Stella Adler Conservatory, Ruffalo started out in theatre, co-founding the Orpheus Theatre Company where he wrote, directed and starred in several plays. Following roles in television shows like CBS Summer Playhouse and Due South, the actor made his feature film debut in the horror film Mirror Mirror 2: Raven Dance (1994). Subsequently, Ruffalo appeared in minor supporting roles in films like The Dentist (1996), The Last Big Thing (1996) and Ride with the Devil (1999), which preceded his breakout role as a troubled youngster in the critically acclaimed drama film You Can Count On Me (2000).

Ruffalo`s performance in the film was well-received in all quarters, and earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead among other accolades. Following You Can Count on Me, Ruffalo began to appear in more prominent supporting roles in films like My Life Without Me (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Collateral (2004) and All the King`s Men (2006); and in leading roles in romantic comedies like View from the Top (2003), 13 Going on 30 (2004) and Just like Heaven (2005).

Standout performances in David Fincher`s mystery thriller Zodiac (2007), Martin Scorsese`s neo-noir psychological thriller Shutter Island (2010) and the comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right revitalised the actor`s career in the late 2000s, with The Kids Are All Right earning Ruffalo his maiden Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 2012, Ruffalo debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dr. Bruce Banner a.k.a Hulk, a role that earned him a global following. He has since reprised the role in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Ruffalo received back to back BAFTA and Oscar nominations in 2014 and 2015, for portraying two characters based on real people.

The first of these was his portrayal of Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Dave Schultz in the biographical crime drama Foxcatcher, while the second was that of Boston Globe reporter Michael Rezendes in the biographical crime drama Spotlight. Notable directorial credits include the 2010 drama film Sympathy for Delicious. Other significant acting credits include The Brothers Bloom (2009), Margaret (2011), Now You See Me (2013), Begin Again (2013), Infinitely Polar Bear (2014), Now You See Me 2 (2016) and Dark Waters (2019).

Peers & More

Jason Bateman

Actor

Steve Carell

Actor

Joaquin Phoenix

Actor

Family

Sunrise Coigney

Spouse

Popular Movies

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Mickey 17

Poor Things

Dark Waters

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame Tribute (Extra Footage)

Avengers: Infinity War Re-Release (Hindi)

Avengers: Infinity War

Thor: Ragnarok

Now You See Me 2

Spotlight

Did You Know? (11)

Mark Ruffalo's first screen appearance came in 1989 with the commercial for Clearasil Double Clear.

Mark Ruffalo revealed in an interview that he gave as many as 800 auditions before getting his first big break in the industry.

Mark Ruffalo was Louis Leterrier's first choice to play the character of Hulk in The Incredible Hulk (2008) . However, the studio wanted to cast Edward Norton.

Soon after he completed shooting for the movie The Last Castle (2001), Mark Ruffalo got diagnosed with acoustic neuroma - a type of benign brain tumor. He then recovered after a surgery but became deaf in his left ear.

Mark Ruffalo had co-founded the theatre company named Orpheus Theatre Company. While he worked with the company as a writer, director, and actor, Ruffalo also served as a bartender for nearly a decade at several bars and pubs.

As a child, Mark Ruffalo struggled with ADD (Attention-deficit disorder) and undiagnosed dyslexia.

Mark Ruffalo competed in wrestling during his schooling days and also was a state-champion wrestler.

After watching Lisa Cholodenko's movie High Art, Mark Ruffalo approached her and expressed his desire to work with her. Years later, Cholodenko cast him in the film The Kids Are All Right (2010) for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Mark Ruffalo was suppose to star in the movie Signs (2002). However, the actor was then diagnosed with acoustic neuroma - a type of benign brain tumor and his role was then given to Joaquin Phoenix.

Mark Ruffalo and Benicio Del Toro studied at the Stella Adler drama school at the same time.

Mark Ruffalo was offered the role of Perry Smith in the movie Infamous (2006). However, due to other commitments, the actor recommended Daniel Craig for the role, who was later cast in the movie.

Personal Quotes (11)

"I became an actor so I didn't have to be myself."

"The problem to me is violence. It's not cool to kill somebody or hurt people."

"I don't like this idea of Method. I come from that school, but what I was taught was that it's your imagination. You do your homework, and you use your imagination."

"I like to think the movies that I've picked have something worthwhile to say. Something relevant."

"I think of marriage as a garden. You have to tend to it. Respect it, take care of it, feed it. Make sure everyone is getting the right amount of, um, sunlight."

"I'd never taken a job purely for money - I felt that would kill me - but I was afraid that I was heading that way. Then, my brother passing away was the final thing that kicked me over. It reminded me that life is short, and you'd better do what you want while you have a chance."

"It's easy to do nothing, but your heart breaks a little more every time you do."

""What is normal?" really becomes the question. What is normal, and how are we fooled into thinking it's something other than what we're doing at any given time. Every family has either a drug addict or an alcoholic or some sort of dysfunction that the family is dealing with. And I think the grace of this family is that they actually could be that far out there but also be forgiving, and be really human, and be human in front of each other without much shame."

"I guess the biggest lesson would be to have faith in that little part of yourself that knows what it's doing, knows what it wants, knows what you should be doing, even when all the clamour around you is telling you something else. That's the part that you want to keep alive and that's the part that people want to see when they see you on the screen."

"There's a misperception about actors that we actually choose the roles we end up doing - it's more that we're chosen for them."

"As an actor, I started using dreams more, which is not mystical or anything like that. I just found that I've been using that as a tool to give me another point of view towards the work. It's often surprising but really helpful."

Did You Know? (11)

Personal Quotes (11)

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