Mark Ruffalo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Ruffalo
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Ruffalo at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
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Mark Alan Ruffalo
November 22, 1967 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Sunrise Coigney
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Full list |
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Mark Alan Ruffalo (born November 22, 1967) is an American actor. He started acting in the early 1990s. He became well-known for his roles in the play This Is Our Youth (1996) and the movie You Can Count on Me (2000).
Mark Ruffalo has starred in many popular movies. These include romantic comedies like 13 Going on 30 (2004) and Just like Heaven (2005). He also appeared in thrillers such as Zodiac (2007) and Shutter Island (2010).
Since 2012, he has been famous worldwide for playing Bruce Banner / The Hulk. He plays this character in the superhero movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ruffalo has been nominated for many awards. He has received four nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
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Mark Ruffalo: Early Life and Education
Mark Alan Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His mother, Marie Rose, was a hairdresser. His father, Frank Lawrence Ruffalo Jr., worked as a construction painter. Mark has two sisters, Tanya and Nicole. He also had a brother, Scott.
His family background is diverse. His father was of Italian descent. His mother had French Canadian and Italian roots. Mark grew up in a household with different religious beliefs. He learned to respect various viewpoints from a young age.
Ruffalo went to both Catholic and progressive schools. He has said he was a "happy kid." However, he faced challenges with undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD. These conditions made learning harder for him.
He spent his teenage years in Virginia Beach, Virginia. There, he wrestled in junior high and high school. Mark graduated from First Colonial High School in 1986. After high school, he moved to San Diego, California, and then to Los Angeles. He studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory. He also helped start the Orpheus Theatre Company. For nearly ten years, he worked as a bartender while pursuing his acting dreams.
Mark Ruffalo: Becoming an Actor
Mark Ruffalo started his acting career in 1989. His first screen appearance was in a TV show called CBS Summer Playhouse. He then took on small roles in movies. One of his early film roles was in the horror movie Mirror/Mirror II: Raven Dance (1994).
In 1996, he acted in the play This Is Our Youth off-Broadway. This role helped him get noticed. He also appeared in other films like The Dentist (1996) and Ride with the Devil (1999).
A big step in his career was the film You Can Count on Me (2000). He played the brother of Laura Linney's character. Critics praised his performance. Many compared him to a young Marlon Brando. He won awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Montreal World Film Festival. After this, he got more supporting roles in movies like Windtalkers (2003) and In the Cut (2003).
Mark Ruffalo: Famous Roles and Recognition
In the mid-2000s, Mark Ruffalo became known for romantic comedies. He starred with Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30 (2004). This movie became a favorite for many. He also appeared in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and Just Like Heaven (2005). In 2004, he played a detective in the crime thriller Collateral alongside Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise.
In 2006, Ruffalo made his Broadway debut. He starred in the play Awake and Sing!. His performance earned him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play nomination. Critics praised his acting, noting his charm and strong stage presence.
In 2007, he played a police inspector in David Fincher's crime thriller Zodiac. He acted with Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.. Later, he starred in The Brothers Bloom (2008) and Blindness (2008).
Directing and Major Film Successes
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Mark Ruffalo also tried directing. He made his first feature film, Sympathy for Delicious, in 2010. It won an award at the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2010, he co-starred in the thriller Shutter Island with Leonardo DiCaprio. That same year, he appeared in The Kids Are All Right. His role in this film earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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A major turning point was in 2012 when he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He took on the role of Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk in The Avengers. Many critics and fans loved his portrayal of the character. He continued to play the Hulk in movies like Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
In 2014, Ruffalo starred in the TV movie The Normal Heart. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination. He received his second Academy Award nomination for playing wrestler Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher (2014).
The next year, in 2015, he played a father with bipolar disorder in Infinitely Polar Bear. He also played journalist Michael Rezendes in the drama Spotlight. For Spotlight, he earned his third Academy Award nomination. He spent time with the real journalist to prepare for the role.
In 2019, he starred in and produced Dark Waters. This film highlighted his interest in environmental issues. In 2020, he played two roles as identical twins in the HBO series I Know This Much Is True. This role won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
More recently, Ruffalo has continued to appear as the Hulk in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022). In 2023, he starred in the fantasy film Poor Things, which earned him another Academy Award nomination.
Mark Ruffalo: Personal Life
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Mark Ruffalo married Sunrise Coigney in 2000. They have three children together.
After filming The Last Castle, Mark was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma, a type of brain tumor. The tumor was not cancerous. However, the surgery to remove it caused temporary facial paralysis and affected his hearing. The paralysis went away after a year, but he is still deaf in his left ear.
Mark Ruffalo and his family live in Sullivan County, New York. He considers the Catskills area his home. He also owns apartments in New York City.
Mark Ruffalo: Activism and Views
Mark Ruffalo is known for his activism. He has spoken out on various issues. He became a strong voice against fracking, a method of extracting natural gas. He learned about its potential dangers after gas companies showed interest in his family's land.
He has also shown support for the LGBT community, advocating for equal rights. In 2015, Ruffalo supported the "Education Is Not a Crime" campaign. This campaign aimed to raise awareness about the denial of university education to young Baha'is in Iran.
Ruffalo has used his platform to discuss environmental concerns. In 2016, he narrated and produced a documentary called Dear President Obama: The Clean Energy Revolution Is Now. This film looked at President Barack Obama's environmental policies. He also starred in Dark Waters (2019), a film about chemical pollution.
He has also spoken about global issues. In 2023, he signed an open letter from artists calling for a ceasefire during the conflict in Gaza. He has also worked to save the West-Park Presbyterian Church in his neighborhood. He believes the historic building should be preserved.
Mark Ruffalo: Awards and Recognition
Mark Ruffalo has received many awards and nominations throughout his career. He is one of the few performers to be nominated for the four major entertainment awards in the US: the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar (Academy Award), and Tony.
Awards
His nominations and wins include:
- Emmy Awards
- 2014: Won for Outstanding Television Movie for The Normal Heart
- 2014: Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor for The Normal Heart
- 2020: Won for Outstanding Lead Actor for I Know This Much Is True
- Grammy Awards
- 2018: Nominated for Best Spoken Word Album for Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In
- Academy Awards (Oscar)
- 2011: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Kids Are All Right
- 2015: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Foxcatcher
- 2016: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Spotlight
- 2024: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Poor Things
- Tony Awards
- 2006: Nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Awake and Sing!
Credits
On February 8, 2024, Mark Ruffalo received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His wife and two of his children joined him for this special event.
Audiobook
- 2016: Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In (with Bernie Sanders), Macmillan Audio, ISBN: 978-1-4272-8533-1
See also
In Spanish: Mark Ruffalo para niños
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
