Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Some of you might recognize him from your favorite 90s romantic comedies, and some from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, either way, it’s almost certain that you have fallen in love with the brilliant and kind actor Mark Ruffalo over the last two decades. His most popular role to date is Bruce Banner aka Hulk, and that’s how he is known across the world, but there is so much more to him than his performance as the green superhero.
The more you learn about Mark Ruffalo, the more you realize just how brilliant he is, not just when it comes to acting, but he is also one of the most unproblematic celebrities in Hollywood. Not to forget, Mark Ruffalo manages to wish almost every one of his co-stars a happy birthday, and it is truly wholesome. So, keep reading to learn more about our beloved Hulk, from his net worth to his biography and much more:
At the time of publishing, Mark Ruffalo has an approximate net worth of $35 million. Considering he worked as a bartender for about ten years while trying to break into the film industry, that’s not a bad promotion! Ruffalo has used his wealth to buy not only multiple homes for his family but also an investment property in New York City. Most of his earnings have been from his role as Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, his other performances have also been noteworthy and we will talk more about them!
On November 22, 1967, Mark Alan Ruffalo was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Growing up, he attended both Catholic and public schools. As a child and young adult, he struggled with undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia. His family relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, for his father’s work, when he was a teenager. While in junior high and high school, he was a competitive wrestler, and in high school, he acted for the Patriot Playhouse in Virginia Beach. After he graduated from First Colonial High School, his family moved twice more – first to San Diego, California, and then to Los Angeles, where he took classes at the Stella Adler Conservatory. He also starred in, directed, and wrote, a number of plays with the Orpheus Theatre Company, which he co-founded.
Ruffalo began his career in minor film roles and originated the role of Warren in Kenneth Lonergan’s play This Is Our Youth. His work with Lonergan led to his being cast in You Can Count on Me, Lonergan’s Academy Award-nominated film from 2000. He received great praise for his performance, and several critics compared him to a young Marlon Brando. He also won awards from the Montreal World Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Early in his career, he appeared in XX/XY, Windtalkers, In the Cut, My Life Without Me, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The mid-2000s brought Ruffalo several roles as a romantic lead, including those in View from the Top, Rumor Has It, Just Like Heaven, and 13 Going on 30. He continued to work on stage, as well, starring in Awake and Sing! by Clifford Odets on Broadway. He was then nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He starred in a number of other dramas throughout the 2000s, such as Zodiac, Reservation Road, Blindness, and The Brothers Bloom. In 2010, he starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the Martin Scorsese thriller film Shutter Island. In the same year, he also was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Kids Are All Right.
He first appeared as Dr. Bruce Banner, better known as the Incredible Hulk, in Marvel Studios’ The Avengers in 2012. He appeared in four more Marvel films, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. He also made cameo appearances in Iron Man 3, Captain Marvel, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in addition to reprising his role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
In 2014, Ruffalo starred in the television adaptation of The Normal Heart, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. In the same year, he earned his second Academy Award nomination for his work in the biographical drama Foxcatcher. In 2015, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as a father living with bipolar disorder in Infinity Polar Bear. He also was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for those who are bringing them here.
Ruffalo is vocally pro-choice and openly supportive of the LGBT community. In 2016, he supported Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. In October 2020, he condemned Israel’s actions in Palestine, calling it “asymmetrical warfare”. In April 2022, Ruffalo also encouraged voters to check ID requirements in their states, so some voters were being turned away from the pools because of a lack of identification.
Mark Ruffalo is the son of Frank Lawrence Ruffalo, Jr., and Marie Rose Ruffalo, née Hébert. His father worked as a painter in the construction industry, and his mother is a hairdresser and stylist. He is of Italian and French-Canadian descent. Ruffalo is one of four children and has two sisters, Tania and Nicole. His brother Scott was killed in December 2008, and the case remains unsolved.
Ruffalo met and began dating actress Sunrise Coigney in 1998, and the two were married in 2000. Sunrise put her acting career on pause to be a stay-at-home mom to their three children. About a year after their wedding, they welcomed their first child, a son named Keen, in 2001. Keen seems to be following in his parent’s footsteps, already credited in films such as Begin Again and Thor: Ragnarok. Ruffalo and Coigney also have two daughters, Bella and Odette, born in 2005 and 2007.
Ruffalo was diagnosed with a brain tumor, known as an acoustic neuroma, around 2001. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor, which was successful. However, he suffered from partial facial paralysis for a time. The paralysis has subsided since, but he is deaf in his left ear as a result of the surgery.
The Ruffalo family lives in Sullivan County, New York, in the Catskill Mountains, about two hours outside of New York City. Ruffalo owns two apartments in New York City, as well. The family spends their time off in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where Ruffalo’s mother and stepfather reside.
As we said, the more you learn about Mark Ruffalo, the more you fall in love with him. He has been around in Hollywood for a while now and continues to impress us with his performances. Do let us know in the comments what your favorite Mark Ruffalo role has been so far!