The A-Z of famous names supporting Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and Greens", "Mark Ruffalo in Standing Rock; Leo DiCaprio, Jesse Jackson Head to Standing Rock", "Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo enlisted by Green Party in bid for government support", "I have reflected & wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing "genocide". [22] He has been noted for spoiling the endings of Avengers: Infinity War a year ahead of theatrical release,[20][21] as well as Avengers: Endgame a few weeks ahead of release. Prior to 9/11, he moved to upstate New York to get away from the spotlight and focus on recuperating. In an interview with Parade, Ruffalo described how he and his friend remained close, saying, "He was the only one I knew as sad as me who I could talk to.". In fact, things went downhill pretty fast. "I've been struggling with that my whole life. After he did just that, Ruffalo made a lot of friends in the business, one of whom was Chris Penn. [4][5], Ruffalo attended both Catholic and progressive schools throughout his education. Mark Ruffalo has come a long way since 1990 when he made his stage acting debut. And I thought, 'yep.' Mark Ruffalo has dealt with depression since he was a child. Mark Ruffalo has earned a reputation as one of Hollywood's genuine good guys. Ruffalo had a difficult time accepting the fact that he was unable to work. Father was a construction painter and mother a hairstylist. Mark Ruffalo is an anti-fracking activist. He even began to advocate for environmental causes and social justice. In that time, Ruffalo kept quiet about why he'd dropped off the map, but that didn't stop people from guessing. "[67], In the 2016 election, Ruffalo supported Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. Ruffalo fired his agent and publicist, left his apartment in L.A., and moved to a secluded home in upstate New York with his wife and three children. For example, he had dyslexia, which makes it a challenge for people to read text in spite of being of normal intelligence in other respects. When talking about his childhood struggles, the Ruffalo family's financial situation isn't the only thing that made life harder for young Mark. Though the tumor was benign, the surgery resulted in partial facial paralysis. Following his brother's death, Ruffalo decided to take a break from Hollywood. The Avengers star hid this all away from the public. When he sat down for an interview with Men's Journal, the former C student told them that he believes he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia for years, but he dug in and finished high school anyway. Before surgery he was told he had an 80 percent chance of losing the hearing in his left ear and 20 percent chance of losing his facial nerve. . "I'd had surgery in the past and had a really bad reaction to the anesthesia anyway I was honestly afraid to die was my biggest fear," he said. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); His next role was in 2001 in Rod Lurie's The Last Castle playing a bookie in a military prison alongside Robert Redford. ", During an interview with theObserver, Ruffalo commented on his depression, "It's dysthymia. [12], In 2008, Ruffalo starred as a con man in The Brothers Bloom with Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz and co-starred with Julianne Moore in Blindness. He was cast as the male lead for Lonergan's directorial debut in 2000, You Can Count on Me. dealt with depression since he was a child, After having a dream that he had developed a brain tumor, an interview with the Acoustic Neuroma Association, a spot on the U.S. [60], Ruffalo was interviewed by "We Are Change" at an anti-war rally in 2007. Ruffalo said: I was praying and sort of bargaining with God I was like hey man, please um you know don't take my face and don't take my life because without my face I can't really support my family and without my life definitely can't support my family.. Thankfully, the operation was a success and doctors were able to remove the tumour. [52], On December 1, 2008, Ruffalo's younger brother, Scott, was found outside his home on North Palm Drive in Beverly Hills with an execution-style bullet wound to the head. From his role as Inspector David Toschi inZodiacto the Incredible Hulk inThe Avengers, Mark Ruffalo has made an acting career for himself filled with success and recognition. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb, Looking back, he now says that turning bad luck into good and seeing the best in things has become a recurring theme in his life. Three weeks after he welcomed son Keen into the world, he went under the knife, but not before recording a message in case he never woke up. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=c3d09bf3-c7f4-4d9e-b840-f9ca05ece3ca&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=6558139838960232115'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); "It's when you have what seems to be bad luck that actually turns into good luck later." if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { When he grew up and had his own family, Mark eventually moved from their upstate New York home back to New York City sohis children could go to a school with a good program for dyslexic studentsbecause he didn't want his children to go through the same struggles he experienced. I had never seen a human being change that much." So it wasn't too hard to revisit those places. In the UK, acoustic neuroma is rare, affecting approximately 2 per 100,000 according to the British Acoustic Neuroma association. However, several weeks after the birth of his son and with the news of his diagnosis weighing heavy on his heart, Mark opened up to his wife and underwent surgery. After a while, Frank Ruffalo's painting business went under, prompting the family to move to Virginia Beach, Virginia, when Mark was 13. "People are so afraid of mental illness but its everywhere," he told Observer. After graduation, his family uprooted and moved to what the men's mag described as a "seedy beach community" in San Diego, though things didn't exactly work out the way his parents (a house decorator and a hair stylist) had planned. "They told me the surgery went well, they got all the tumor, they preserved my nerve but I just heard a ringing in my left ear.". "My friends have a term, getting 'Ruffaloed,'" he told In New York. Here's a look back at Mark Ruffalo's tragic real-life story. He directed a number of plays during his time at the Orpheus Theatre Company, and made his feature film directorial debut with 2010 indie film Sympathy for Delicious,[29] which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize. En espaol | Mark Ruffalo, 52, famous for virtually bulking up to play the Hulk in the wildly popular films about and including the Marvel superhero, bulked up in real life this year to play identical twins in the six-part HBO miniseries I Know This Much Is True (HBO, May 10, 9 p.m. [69], Ruffalo signed a letter supporting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him for in the 2019 UK general election. [1] His father is of Italian descent, from Girifalco[3] and his mother is of French Canadian and Italian ancestry. I had become friendly with the set doctor on that movie who was on the board of the local hospital," the Spotlight star told the Acoustic Neuroma Association (ANA) in 2013. If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing It appeared to fans as if Ruffalo simply disappeared into thin air. [61] Ruffalo expressed views in line with the 9/11 truth movement when he stated: "I'm baffled by the way all three buildings came down. sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices. Fortunately, he recovered fully after a brief spell of illness. However, in the year 2000just as his career was taking offthe actor suffered a setback that could easily have thwarted the many achievements that lay ahead. Saturday, 4th March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. In 1994, Mark's best friend died by suicide. "The shooting was a result of the victim's chronic playing of Russian Roulette and his dangerous playing with firearms while under the use of controlled substances," Adham's lawyer told the New York Daily News. Bonus: You'll also be a much, much healthier man. "Drugs, alcoholism, AIDS." Scott Ruffalo's murder remains unsolved. He discovered its benefits through a friend who conquered addiction in part through the adoption of a meditation program; seeing the positive changes in another person, Ruffalo was opened to the practice of meditation, which he credits with completely changing his outlook. He was rushed to hospital and managed to hang onto life for a week, but, when it became clear that he wasn't going to recover, his life support was switched off, devastating his family. As a result of the tumour, he briefly suffered a period of partial facial paralysis. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Whatever the truth, I was damaged goods. [emailprotected]. He started acting in the early 1990s. } ); According to the NHS, the other symptoms of an large acoustic neuroma may be: As well as brain surgery, the other treatment options include monitoring the tumour if it is small. It was a rough journey with prescribed steroids slowing down his recovery. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. The way the world looked to me changed.". I was struggling as a young actor, suffering through imagined or real slights from other people's hands. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. You never get over it, you just get used to it. Therapists say it can damage your connection. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole", "Mark Ruffalo and Viola Davis lead reactions as Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty", "We come together to mourn the lives lost to the same racist system that devalues Black lives and devalued the lives of Anthony and JoJo", "Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict: Hollywood Reacts To Acquittal With Outrage But Not Surprise", "Mark Ruffalo Jokes That His Kids Do Not Respect the Hulk: See His Family on the Red Carpet", "Mark Ruffalo Shares His Kids Shot a Scene for 'Thor: Ragnarok': 'They Had a Great Day' (Exclusive)", "Crazy Dream That Led To The Discovery of Mark Ruffalo Brain Tumor", "Mark Ruffalo's Brother Shot in the Head", "Mark Ruffalo Opens Up About the Murder of His Younger Brother Scott", "Mark Ruffalo's stepfather to speak at screening", "Mark Ruffalo and HBO Sued Over 2019 Fire on Set of I Know This Much Is True", "Kylie Jenner Isn't the Only Celebrity Who Believes in Chemtrails", "9 Stars Who Have Been 9/11 Conspiracy Truthers (Photos)", "Mark Ruffalo's pro-choice stance on abortion rights sets a powerful example", "Mark Ruffalo says capitalism is 'killing us'; millionaire actor calls for 'economic revolution', "Mark Ruffalo Reveals The Message Of "The Normal Heart" And The Personal Reason LGBT Equality Is Important To Him", "Mark Ruffalo Defends Matt Bomer Amid Transgender Casting Criticism", "Celebrities split over Ellen DeGeneres's remarks about George W. Bush", "Is Socialism Here To Stay In 2016, Or Is Bernie Sanders Just Another Howard Dean? From crippling poverty and illness to several brushes with death, this is the tragic real-life story of Mark Ruffalo. Actor Mark Ruffalo, known for his role as Bruce Banner / Hulk, had a brain tumor in 2001. It's a long-running, low-grade depression all the time," he said. "We'd go to the park in the morning and there would be bodies strewn out in the grass. While he was still in school, friends would talk about their future goals and parents would ask Mark about his plans following graduation. [1] In March 2007, he appeared in Zodiac as SFPD homicide inspector Dave Toschi, who ran the investigation to find and apprehend the Zodiac killer from 1969 through most of the 1970s. [36] The New York Times described the claim as "dubious" and stated that those "sounding the alarm", did not mention that the larvicide did not work through the central nervous system and that it has been approved by the World Health Organization. Since then, he's received three Oscar nominations for his performances in The Kids Are All Right, Foxcatcher, and Spotlight. Though the tumor was benign, the resulting surgery led to a period of partial facial paralysis, from which he fully recovered. [1][2] He has two sisters, Tania and Nicole, and a brother, Scott (died 2008). Nick Fury actor Samuel Jackson called him a "cuddly little bear" and revealed that "everyone loves hugging on Mark" on the set of the Marvel movies, but, believe it or not, he was once a very angry young man. He has explained his opinion by saying: "I don't want to turn back the hands of time to when women shuttled across state lines in the thick of night to resolve an unwanted pregnancy, in a cheap hotel room. Mark Alan Ruffalo (/rflo/; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor and producer. His father, Frank, owned a construction painting business that he inherited from his father while his mother, Maria, worked as a hairstylist. "And everything changed. The day after a chat with the on-set doctor, Ruffalo was sent to a neurologist who gave him a CT scan. MARK RUFFALO has starred in some of the highest grossing films including multiple within the Marvel Cinematic Universe where he plays Hulk. RELATED:Maria Menounos Says This Was the First Symptom of Her Brain Tumor. When hate rises, it calls all of us to rise . [36], In March 2016, Ruffalo narrated and produced Dear President Obama: The Clean Energy Revolution Is Now, a documentary by director Jon Bowermaster which looks at President Barack Obama's environmental tenure and legacy concerning the massive expansion of oil and natural gas drilling. Just saying, 'Hey, this is who I am.'" His EGOT recognitions are: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Dark Waters star had a wake-up call in 1994 when he lost his best friend Michael to suicide. After a CAT scan, he received a diagnosis of acoustic neroma. In his interview with the Telegraph, Ruffalo stated that he'd been considering stepping aside prior to Scott's death because of his growing disillusionment with Hollywood. Ruffalo graduated from First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, where he acted for the Patriot Playhouse. Though he wanted to return to acting, his doctors strongly advised him against it. The unfortunate diagnosis didn't only correspond with the birth of his son Ruffalo was also reaching new heights in his career. The Mayo Clinic explains: Acoustic neuroma is a noncancerous and usually slow-growing tumour that develops on the main nerve leading from your inner ear to your brain. Mark Ruffalo has come a long way since 1990 when he made his stage acting debut. Though Ruffalo continued working on his film, he remained retired from acting until he read the script for The Kids Are All Right. [55] The case remains unsolved. Immediately after surgery, Ruffalo was told by his father that his heart stopped during surgery. "The chances of the nerves coming back diminish each month and month seven was pretty much the cut-off point. In an interview with the Acoustic Neuroma Association regarding his experiences before and after his operation, Mark said he focused on trying to move his face muscles for about an hour every day and walking. The actor said that Michael's death helped him realize the value of his own life, keeping him from making the same decision. The actor sought out his own meditation teacher to see if it would work for him in the same way, and the results were astonishing. There, Frank started a new business called Soda Butler, a business reminiscent of the modern Soda Stream. Grade school was always difficult for him in an interview with Parade, Ruffalo said, "I was miserable. RELATED:Two-Time Cancer Survivor Kathy Bates Warns Others Never to Do This. But he may well be the first actor to play both Bruce Banner *and* Hulk. In 2018, he received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for the political audiobook Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In (2016). In an interview with Men's Journal, Mark Ruffalo described his childhood and experiences as a young man. Mark also explained that he underwent various therapies to help alleviate the paralysis, including acupuncture, herbal therapy, massage, and other forms of alternative medicine in conjunction with his prescribed regimen.