
Birthdate: Nov 22, 1967
Birthplace: Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
Mark Ruffalo (birthname: Mark Alan Ruffalo) is one of the finest actors of his generation who has never won the Oscar—although he is a four-time Oscar nominee—and has skillfully balanced a gallery of serious work with big-audience appearances, such as Thor in several huge Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Ruffalo made his feature debut in director/co-writer/producer Jimmy Lifton’s direct-to-video horror sequel, Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance (1994), and also the follow-up sequel Mirror, Mirror III: The Voyeur (1995) co-directed by Rachel Gordon and Virginia Perfili, and then Ruffalo appeared in his theatrical debut, director/writer Floyd Mutrux’s comedy-drama, There Goes My Baby (1994), co-starring Dermot Mulroney, Rick Schroeder, Noah Wyle and Kelli Williams, and released by Orion Pictures.
Ruffalo made his feature screenwriting debut with director/co-writer Michael Hacker’s drama, The Destiny of Marty Fine (1996), for which Ruffalo also wrote the story and played a supporting role, with Norman Fell, Michael Ironside, Catherine Keener and James LeGros, and which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and released by One-Two Productions. Ruffalo joined the cast of Canadian director/writer/actor Dan Zukovic’s satirical feature debut, The Last Big Thing (1996), with Susan Heimbeinder and Sibel Ergener, premiering at the Vancouver Film Festival, and the same year Ruffalo joined the ensemble of another feature filmmaking debut, director/writer John Hamburg’s crime comedy, Safe Men (1998), co-starring the colorful cast of Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, Harvey Fierstein, Michael Lerner, Paul Giamatti and Peter Dinklage, and which was released by October Films.
Mark Ruffalo had a small supporting role in 54 (1998), director/writer Mark Christopher’s drama set in the heady atmosphere of New York’s Studio 54 co-starring Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell and Mike Myers (in one of his few dramatic roles), reshot and recut by distributor Miramax to savage reviews but then revived on video years later in a critically acclaimed director’s cut. Ruffalo landed a significant supporting role in director Joan Micklin Silver’s comedy, A Fish in the Bathtub (1999), starring Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, with Jane Adams, Paul Benedict, Doris Roberts, Phyllis Newman, Bob Dishy and Elizabeth Franz, and then Ruffalo was cast for the strong ensemble of director Ang Lee’s and screenwriter James Schamus’s Western, Ride with the Devil (1999), based on Daniel Woodrell’s novel, Woe to Live On, starring Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel, Jeffrey Wright, Simon Baker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Jim Caviezel, and released by USA Films.
Ruffalo had his career breakthrough co-starring with Laura Linney in director/writer Kenneth Lonergan’s superb drama, You Can Count On Me (2000), with Matthew Broderick, Jon Tenney and Rory Culkin, and which shared the Grand Jury Prize and won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival, going on to outstanding box office success ($11.2 million on an estimate $1 million budget) for Paramount Classics and earning two Oscars (Linney for Best Actress and Lonergan for Best Original Screenplay). Ruffalo joined the cast of director/writer Lisa Krueger’s comedy, Committed (2000), starring Heather Graham, Casey Affleck, Luke Wilson, Goran Visnjic and Alfonso Arau, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and released to little business by Miramax Films.
Mark Ruffalo shared above-the-title billing with co-stars Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Clifton Collins Jr. and Delroy Lindo on the poster of the military prison movie, The Last Castle (2001), directed by Rod Lurie, co-written by David Scarpa and Graham Yost, but which lost money for DreamWorks Pictures with a poor $27.6 million box office (based on estimated costs). Ruffalo had one of his first feature starring roles in director/writer Austin Chick’s romantic drama, XX/XY (2002), with Kathleen Robertson, Maya Stange and Kel O’Neill, launching at the Sundance Film Festival and released to small business by IFC Films.
Ruffalo joined legendary Hong Kong director/producer John Woo for one of his Hollywood productions, the WWII drama Windtalkers (2002), starring Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich, Frances O’Connor and Christian Slater, produced and released by MGM to a poor gross of $76.7 million (based on estimated costs). Ruffalo had a supporting role in director/writer Isabel Coixet’s Canadian/Spanish drama, My Life Without Me (2003), starring Sarah Polley, Amanda Plummer, Scott Speedman, Leonor Watling, Deborah Harry and Maria de Medeiros, earning $12.3 million for Alliance Atlantis Releasing and Warner Sogefilms.
Mark Ruffalo began acting in a string of rom coms with the Bruno Barreto-directed View from the Top (2003), starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Candice Bergen, Joshua Malina, Rob Lowe, Mike Myers and Kelly Preston, produced by Brad Grey Pictures and released by Miramax Films to a $19.5 million gross. Ruffalo joined director/co-writer Jane Campion’s American-set psychological thriller, In the Cut (2003), based on co-screenwriter Susanna Moore’s 1995 novel, produced by Nicole Kidman and Pathe Productions, starring Meg Ryan, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Damici, and released by Screen Gems to a $23.7 million return.
Ruffalo was star and executive producer of the indie drama, We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2004), co-starring Laura Dern, Peter Krause and Naomi Watts (who was also a producer) under John Curran’s direction, adapted from Andre Dubus’s short stories by screenwriter Larry Gross (winning the Waldo Salt Award for Best Screenplay at the Sundance Film Festival), and released by Warner Independent Pictures. Ruffalo next stepped aboard one of the best movies in his filmography as a top supporting actor in director/story writer/producer Michel Gondry’s and writer Charlie Kaufman’s imaginative drama, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson, winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Kaufman, Gondry and co-story writer Pierre Bismuth while retuning a solid $74 million return for Focus Features.
Mark Ruffalo co-starred with Jennifer Garner in the fantasy rom com, 13 Going on 30 (2004), with Judy Greer and Andy Serkis under Gary Winick’s direction, and which grossed a healthy $96 million (based on estimated costs) for producers Columbia Pictures/Revolution Studios/Roth-Arnold Productions and distributor Sony Pictures Releasing. Ruffalo was cast by another major director for another fine supporting performance in director/producer Michael Mann’s Los Angeles-set drama, Collateral (2004), starring Tom Cruise, Oscar-nominated Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Peter Berg and Bruce McGill, written by Stuart Beattie, produced in part and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures for an excellent $220.2 million worldwide gross.
Ruffalo co-starred with Reese Witherspoon in the Parkes/MacDonald Productions fantasy rom com, Just Like Heaven (2005), with Donal Logue, Dina Waters, Ben Shenkman, Ivana Milicevic, Rosalind Chao, Ron Canada, Willie Garson and Jon Heder under Marl Waters’s direction, earning $103 million box office for distributor DreamWorks Pictures. Ruffalo then joined a far less successful rom com project, with Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner and Shirley MacLaine in the toplining cast of the Rob Reiner-directed Rumor Has It (2005), with Richard Jenkins and Mena Suvari, and which grossed only $89 million (based on estimated costs) for Warner Bros. Pictures.
Mark Ruffalo opted for more serious material next as a co-star in director/writer Steven Zaillian’s critically and commercially dismissed feature version of Robert Penn Warren’s 1946 novel, All the King’s Men (2006), starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Patricia Clarkson and Anthony Hopkins, returning a mere $9.5 million (based on estimated costs) to Sony Pictures Releasing and producers Columbia Pictures/Relativity Media/Phoenix Pictures. Ruffalo performed the voice of antiwar figure Jerry Rubin in director/writer/producer Brett Morgen’s animated documentary, Chicago 10: Speak Your Peace (2007), with the voice cast of Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber, James Urbaniak and Jeffrey Wright, and which was released by Roadside Attractions after launching at the Sundance Film Festival.
Ruffalo had one of his most indelible roles as a San Francisco police detective in director David Fincher’s true crime masterpiece and one of the key early 21st century American movies, Zodiac (2007), adapted from Robert Graysmith’s two non-fiction chronicles of the Zodiac Killer by screenwriter and producer James Vanderbilt, co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, John Carroll Lynch and Dermot Mulroney, produced by Phoenix Pictures, premiering in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and released by Paramount Pictures (U.S., Canada)/Warner Bros. Pictures (International) for $84.7 million global box office, before becoming a money-making cult hit in home video. Ruffalo co-starred in director/co-writer Terry George’s drama, Reservation Road (2007), based on co-screenwriter John Burnham Schwartz’s novel, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino and Elle Fanning, and released by Focus Features after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival.
Mark Ruffalo co-starred with Julianne Moore in the Fernando Mereilles-directed Canda/Japan/U.K. film version of Jose Saramago’s 1995 novel, Blindness (2008), with Alica Braga, Yusuke Iseya, Yoshino Kimura, Don McKellar (who wrote the screenplay adaptation), Maury Chaykin, Danny Glover and Gael Garcia Bernal, selected as the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival, but earning mixed reviews and poor box office ($20 million gross, against estimated costs) for Miramax Films (U.S.)/Alliance Films (Canada)/GAGA USEN (Japan)/Focus Features International (International). Ruffalo co-starred with Ethan Hawke in director/co-writer/actor Brian Goodman’s loosely autobiographical crime drama, What Doesn’t Kill You (2008), with Amanda Peet, Donnie Wahlberg (who also produced) and Angela Featherstone, and which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival before a limited release by Yari Film Group Releasing.
Ruffalo co-starred with Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody and Rinko Kikuchi in director/writer Rian Johnson’s caper comedy-drama, The Brothers Bloom (2008), with Maximillian Schell and Robbie Coltrane, launching at the Toronto Film Festival before a release by Summit Entertainment (U.S., Canada)/The Weinstein Company (International) yielding a weak $5.5 million box office (based on estimated costs). Ruffalo joined director/co-writer Spike Jonze and fellow live-action cast mates Max Records, Catherine Keener and Pepita Emmerichs for the big-screen live-action/animated version of Maurice Sendak’s children’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are (2009), co-written by Dave Eggers, with the voices of James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, Forest Whitaker, Catherine O’Hara and Paul Dano, and which grossed $100 million for distributors Warner Bros. Pictures/Roadshow Films (Australia, New Zealand only).
Mark Ruffalo made his director/producer feature debut in the indie drama in which he also co-starred, Sympathy for Delicious (2010), with Christopher Thornton (who also wrote the screenplay), Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney and Orlando Bloom, and which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival (where Ruffalo won Special Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition) before a limited release by Corner Store Entertainment/Super Crispy Entertainment. Ruffalo co-starred with Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in director/co-writer Lisa Cholodenko’s comedy-drama, The Kids Are All Right (2010), with Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson, and which grossed a healthy $34.7 million (based on estimated costs) for Focus Features/Inferno Distribution after launching at the Sundance Film Festival.
Ruffalo joined director/producer Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio for the Dennis Lehane thriller adaptation, Shutter Island (2010), co-starring Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Max von Sydow, written by Laeta Kalogridis, and premiering at the Berlin Film Festival before lead producer and distributor Paramount Pictures released it to a robust $294.8 million gross (based on cost estimates). Ruffalo took a small supporting role in director/producer Shawn Levy’s hit comedy for 20th Century Fox, Date Night (2010), starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, and then Ruffalo joined one of the most accomplished movies in his filmography, reuniting with director/writer Kenneth Lonergan for his extraordinary New York City drama, Margaret (filmed in 2005 and released in 2011), starring Anna Paquin, J. Smith-Cameron, Jean Reno, Allison Janney, Matt Damon and Matthew Broderick, and released in multiple versions (including a 186-minute director’s cut) by Fox Searchlight Pictures, leading to its current cult status as a landmark American movie of the 21st century.
Mark Ruffalo took on the massive role of The Hulk in a number of key Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and some of the highest-grossing movies of all time, including The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), a cameo appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), starring Tom Holland and Zendaya under Destin Daniel Cretton’s direction. Ruffalo co-starred with Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Joely Richardson and Alecia Moore in director/co-writer Stuart Blumberg’s comedy-drama, Thanks for Sharing (2012), distributed in limited pattern by Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival.
Ruffalo took on the recurring role of Agent Dylan Rhodes in the hit franchise starting with Now You See Me (2013), followed by Now You See Me 2 (2016) and a cameo appearance in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025), all co-starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Morgan Freeman, and earning a cumulative gross of $926.7 million globally for distributor Lionsgate. Ruffalo played a record label executive in director/writer John Carney’s music-based comedy-drama, Begin Again (2013), starring Keira Knightley, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, James Cordon, Yasin Bey, CeeLo Green and Catherine Keener, co-produced by Judd Apatow, and delivering a strong gross of $63.4 million (based on estimated costs) for distributor The Weinstein Company.
Mark Ruffalo was co-lead and executive producer on director/writer Maya Forbes’s indie comedy-drama, Infinitely Polar Bear (2014), co-starring Zoe Saldana, and which was released by Sony Pictures Classics after launching at the Sundance Film Festival to a $2.1 million return. Ruffalo joined director/producer Bennett Miller (and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor) for his fascinating Du Pont family drama, Foxcatcher (2014), co-starring Steve Carell and Channing Tatum, written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, premiering at the Cannes Film Festival (where Miller won the Best Director Palme) and went to land five Oscar nominations overall while grossing over $19 million for Sony Pictures Classics/Annapurna International.
Ruffalo landed his second Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his outstanding performance in director/co-writer Tom McCarthy’s Best Picture Oscar-winning Boston Globe true-story drama, Spotlight (2015), co-written by Josh Singer, co-starring the fine ensemble of Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams (also Oscar nominated), Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian d’Arcy James and Billy Crudup, premiering out of competition at the Venice Film Festival and earning a terrific $98.7 million global return for Open Road Films (U.S.)/Entertainment One Features (International). Ruffalo—after a busy run as Thor in a succession of MCU blockbusters--was star/producer on the environmental-corporate true story drama directed by Todd Haynes, Dark Waters (2019), which happened to be Ruffalo’s second movie involving the DuPont name, co-starring Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham and Bill Pullman, and which grossed over $23 million for Focus Features.
Mark Ruffalo gained his third Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in director/producer Yorgos Lanthimos’ brilliant screen version of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel, Poor Things (2023), adapted by Tony McNamara, starring Oscar-winning Emma Stone (who also produced), Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael, winning four Oscars overall and grossing a terrific $117.6 million for Searchlight Pictures after premiering at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion. Ruffalo joined forces with another world-class director, Korean director/writer Bong Joon-ho, as a supporting cast member in the polarizing movie adaptation of Mickey7, Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel, titled for the screen as Mickey 17 (2025), starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Patsy Ferran, Cameron Britton, Daniel Henshall, Stephen Park and Toni Collette, produced primarily by Warner Bros. Pictures and Plan B Entertainment and released to a $133.3 million gross for Warners.
Ruffalo took on one of his few voice performances in an animated movie (in multiple roles in the English dub version), director/co-writer/producer Ugo Bienvenu’s sci-fi fantasy, Arco (2025), co-written and produced by Felix de Givry (along with fellow producers Natalie Portman—who had two voice roles in the English dub version—and Sophie Mas), co-starring the English dub actors Romy Fay, Juliano Krue Valdi, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg, Flea, Roeg Sutherland and America Ferrera, and which earned over $4 million worldwide with a host of distributors including Neon (in the North American territory) after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. Ruffalo co-starred with Chris Hemsworth in director/writer Bart Layton’s Crime 101 (2026), adapted from Don Winslow’s novella, with Barry Keoghan, Halle Berry, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Nolte, produced primarily by MGM and Working Title Films and released wide by Amazon MGM Studios (U.S., Canada)/Sony Pictures Releasing International (International).
Mark Ruffalo co-starred with Natalie Portman (who also produced) in director/writer/producer Lena Dunham’s rom com, Good Sex (2026), with Tucker Pillsbury, Tramell Tillman, Rashida Jones and Meg Ryan, and release by Netflix. Ruffalo portrayed attorney and public servant Joseph A. Califano Jr. in director/co-writer Sian Heder’s biopic, Being Heumann (date to be announced), starring Ruth Madeley in the title role, with Dylan O’Brien, and which was produced and released by Apple.
Ruffalo joined director/co-writer/producer/composer Bertrand Bonello for his provocative Catholic-themed drama, Santo Subito (date to be announced), co-written by Thomas Bidegain, and produced by Madants/Mandarin & Compagnie/Indiana Production in Poland, France and Italy.
Mark Ruffalo was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and raised in Kenosha, Virginia Beach, Virginia, San Diego, California, and Los Angeles, by his parents, Marie (Hairdresser and Stylist) and Frank (Construction Painter). Ruffalo has two sisters, Tania and Nicole, and one brother, Scott. Ruffalo attended Catholic and progressive schools growing up, and graduated in 1986 from First Colonial High School, where he participated in both wrestling and the school theater program. Ruffalo studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory in Los Angeles. Ruffalo has been married to actor Sunrise Coigney since 2000; the couple has three children, Bella, Odette, and Keen. Ruffalo’s height is 5’ 8”. Ruffalo’s estimated net worth is $35 million.
Upcoming (2)
Previous (67)
Family of Beliefs: Mark Ruffalo has discussed how he grew up in a family with three religious beliefs—Catholicism, Evangelical “Born Again” Chrisitianity, Baha’i—and that he began to realize that “I loved them very much, they had very strong feelings about faith, but all of them were valid to me. I felt that none of them, whether my grandmother’s, my father’s or my mother’s, was better or worse than the other.”
Theater Founder: Ruffalo was a co-founder of the Orpheus Theatre Company in Los Angeles, where he acted in, directed and wrote several plays produced there.
Before Fame: Mark Ruffalo worked as a bartender for a decade before he could support himself fulltime as an actor.
People Also Searched For