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 famous for playing many different roles, including the superhero Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He started his acting career in the late 1980s. He first became well-known for his role in the play This Is Our Youth (1996) and the movie You Can Count on Me (2000). He also starred in popular romantic comedies like 13 Going on 30 (2004) and Just Like Heaven (2005). He later appeared in thriller movies such as Zodiac (2007) and Shutter Island (2010).
Ruffalo has been nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. These nominations were for his roles in The Kids Are All Right (2010), Foxcatcher (2014), Spotlight (2015), and Poor Things (2023). He has also won major television awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award for the miniseries I Know This Much Is True (2020).
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Early life and education
Mark Alan Ruffalo was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His mother, Marie Rose, was a hairdresser, and his father, Frank Lawrence Ruffalo Jr., was a construction painter. He has two sisters, Tanya and Nicole, and had a brother, Scott, who passed away in 2008. His father's family is from Italy, and his mother's family is French-Canadian and Italian.
Ruffalo grew up in a family with different religious beliefs. He said this helped him understand that people can have strong, different views on faith. As a child, he struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD, but he still described himself as a "happy kid."
His family later moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. In high school, he competed in wrestling and acted in the school's theater group. After graduating in 1986, he moved to Los Angeles. There, he studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory and started a theater company. For about ten years, he also worked as a bartender to support himself.
Acting Career
1989–2002: Starting on Stage and Screen
Ruffalo's first TV appearance was in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse in 1989. He then had small parts in movies. He became known in theater for starring in the play This Is Our Youth in 1996.
His breakout movie role was in You Can Count on Me (2000), where he played the main character's brother. The movie and his performance were highly praised by critics. This led to more roles in films like The Last Castle (2001), Windtalkers (2003), and In the Cut (2003).
2003–2005: Romantic Comedy Star
In the mid-2000s, Ruffalo became a star in romantic comedies. He acted with Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30 (2004), which is now a fan favorite. He also had a supporting role in the popular movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
That same year, he played a detective in the crime movie Collateral with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. In 2005, he starred with Reese Witherspoon in the romantic movie Just Like Heaven.
2006–2011: Broadway and Dramatic Roles
In 2006, Ruffalo made his debut on Broadway in the play Awake and Sing!. His performance was so good that he was nominated for a Tony Award.
He then starred as a police inspector in the crime thriller Zodiac (2007), alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.. In 2010, he directed his first movie, Sympathy for Delicious.
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Also in 2010, he starred in the thriller Shutter Island with Leonardo DiCaprio. The same year, his role in The Kids Are All Right earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
2012–2019: Becoming the Hulk
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In 2012, Ruffalo took on his most famous role: Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk in The Avengers. He replaced actor Edward Norton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Fans and critics loved his version of the character.
He played the Hulk again in Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
During this time, he also starred in other major films. He received his second Oscar nomination for playing wrestler Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher (2014). In 2015, he earned his third Oscar nomination for playing journalist Michael Rezendes in Spotlight.
2020–present: More Acclaim and Marvel Roles
In 2020, Ruffalo played twin brothers in the HBO series I Know This Much Is True. His performance won him a Primetime Emmy Award. He continued to play Bruce Banner 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 with Emma Stone. His funny performance as a selfish lawyer earned him his fourth Academy Award nomination. That same year, he appeared in the Netflix series All the Light We Cannot See. In 2025, he appeared in the science fiction film Mickey 17 with Robert Pattinson.
Personal life
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Ruffalo married Sunrise Coigney in 2000. They have three children: a son and two daughters. The family lives in a quiet area in New York state.
In 2001, after finishing the movie The Last Castle, doctors found a non-cancerous growth in his head called a vestibular schwannoma. Surgery to remove it was successful, but it caused temporary paralysis on one side of his face. He recovered after a year but is still deaf in his left ear.
In 2008, his younger brother, Scott, died tragically. The case has never been solved.
Activism and Political Views
Mark Ruffalo is known for speaking out on issues he cares about, especially politics and the environment.
Politics
Ruffalo supported Senator Bernie Sanders for president in 2016 and 2020. He also supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. He has encouraged people to vote and has supported political leaders in other countries, like Jeremy Corbyn in the United Kingdom.
Environmentalism
Ruffalo is a strong supporter of environmental protection. He is against a method of getting natural gas called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," because he is concerned it can harm the environment. He has produced documentaries about clean energy and has supported Native American groups protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.
His 2019 movie Dark Waters tells the true story of a lawyer fighting a chemical company for polluting water.
Anti-war Activism
Ruffalo has spoken out against war. In 2023, he joined other celebrities in signing a letter calling for a ceasefire during the conflict in Gaza. He wore a pin supporting this cause at the Academy Awards.
Acting Honors
Ruffalo has received many awards for his acting. On February 8, 2024, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
His major awards include:
- Emmy Awards - 2 wins
- 2014 - Outstanding Television Movie for The Normal Heart
- 2020 - Outstanding Lead Actor for I Know This Much Is True
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
