[42], Also in 2019, Ruffalo starred in and co-produced Dark Waters, which spotlighted another one of his environmental concerns with its true-life depiction of a corporate lawyer's relentless pursuit of justice to expose poisonous pollution by chemical behemoth DuPont. [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. Mark was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2001 and was left with partial facial paralysis after undergoing surgery to remove it. He began acting in the early 1990s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan 's play This Is Our Youth (1998) and drama film You Can Count on Me (2000). Net Worth Mark Ruffalo health: Actor's life-threatening condition Unfortunately, Ruffalo's best friend isn't the only person close to him who passed away unexpectedly. Ruffalo has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right (2010), the biopic Foxcatcher (2014), and the drama Spotlight (2015). Luckily, they were able to remove the tumor successfully. [14], In March 2010, Ruffalo signed with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA);[15] in June 2010, he signed on with the United Talent Agency (UTA). Mark L. Ruffalo, MSW, DPsa Understandably, his death affected Mark deeply. 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. 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. He was cast as the male lead for Lonergan's directorial debut in 2000, You Can Count on Me. In the UK, acoustic neuroma is rare, affecting approximately 2 per 100,000 according to the British Acoustic Neuroma association. However, he beat the odds and after six months of paralysis, Mark was able to make very slight movements, signalling the beginning of a recovery that would still take several more months. In fact, things went downhill pretty fast. For Mark, reaching the pinnacle of his acting career still brought his fair share of struggles. The Dark Waters star had a wake-up call in 1994 when he lost his best friend Michael to suicide. And I thought, 'yep.' Within an hour of the test, his doctor returned to share the results of the imaging. 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. "I went to her that morning and I said, 'listen, I had a really scary dream last night and you're probably going to think I'm crazy, but I think I have a brain tumor and I'd really like to get it checked out.' Following the successful operation, the actor was still left with challenges such as complete paralysis of the left side of his face and loss of hearing in his left ear. Mark Ruffalo House. "The best of times, the worst of times.". After high school, he was embarrassed to tell his parents that he wanted to pursue acting so he resorted to spending most of his time surfing or smoking. Though he wanted to return to acting, his doctors strongly advised him against it. Atsushi Nishijima/HBO. [17] He reprised the role again in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[18] Thor: Ragnarok (2017),[19] Avengers: Infinity War (2018),[20][21] and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In pre-production at the time of Scott's death, the film was released in 2010. The star had to undergo surgery just four weeks after his diagnosis to remove the tumour, which he was terrified about. It's not a great time to say 'I knew it,' but" he said, trailing off. In 1989, he made his screen debut in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse. Ruffalo did in fact lose his hearing soon after surgery. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The pair went through some of their toughest times together, forging a bond that went beyond blood. "But there's also the healthier part that says, 'You integrate it, and you get on.' While Mark Ruffalo was living in Los Angeles and taking classes at the Stella Adler Conservatory, he had a best friend named Michael. Here's a look back at Mark Ruffalo's tragic real-life story. According to the New York Post, the suicide of his longtime bestie Michael taught Ruffalo "the value of life" and made him all the more determined to make it as an actor. That's rare."[28]. After a CAT scan, he received a diagnosis of acoustic neroma. } 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. All of the reasons why stars are definitely not like us. [49][50], After completing work on the film The Last Castle, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma, a type of brain tumor also known as an acoustic neuroma. Immediately after surgery, Ruffalo was told by his father that his heart stopped during surgery. Young women, totally strung out, sores all over their face, would knock on our door asking for money or food. Updated on April 21, 2022: These days, Mark Ruffalo is doing much better. Following his brother's death, Ruffalo decided to take a break from Hollywood. "People are so afraid of mental illness but its everywhere," he told Observer. "For a long time, I felt like someone had it in for me," Ruffalo told Parade. The way the world looked to me changed.". Rated 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the project drew attention to the actor despite working opposite other established actors like Matthew Broderick and Laura Linney. Surgeons informed him that there was an 80 percent chance he would lose his hearing, and a 20 percent chance his facial nerves would be permanently damaged. This apparently made him a threat to security, which he found "pretty f***ing funny" at first. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The three-time Academy Award nominee told the New York Daily News that he was eventually able to stop wearing his anger on his sleeve after he realized that he had a lot to be thankful for, but he needed some professional help to get it under control. [68] While on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ruffalo endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president in 2020 United States presidential election, stating "you know when he gets in the office, he is going to be fighting for us". [16], Ruffalo starred in The Avengers (2012), the sixth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, replacing Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk. Joaquin Phoenix took on the part instead. While filming what would become a breakout role in his career, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a rare form of brain tumor, which he says was "the size of a golf ball" when it was found. While the actor says he did experience temporary paralysis following his operation, the symptoms resolved in the months that followed. His dad is of Italian descent, from Girifalco while his mother is of half-French Canadian and half-Italian . [1], In the mid-2000s, Ruffalo appeared as a romantic lead in View From the Top (2002), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Just Like Heaven (2005) and Rumor Has It (2005). 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.". I've been struggling with that my whole life. "There were all kinds of rumors about what had happened to me," he said. It's not accurate, it's inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here & abroad. In 2010, he co-starred in the Martin Scorsese thriller Shutter Island as U.S. Ruffalo was forced to pass the part of Merrill Hess to Joaquin Phoenix, but that was the least of his worries, as his wife was just weeks from giving birth to their first child at the time. However, Mark never gave up on his dream even when it felt like he was destined to fail. His EGOT recognitions are: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its like a low-grade depression that just is running all the time in the background.". Mark Alan Ruffalo (/rflo/; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor and producer. We don't know what it is exactly, and you'll need an MRI.' This sounds sappy, but I was always aware of the frailty of human beings, the sorrow in the nature of things. 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. Gia Marcos is a writer based in Manila, Philippines. He grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, alongside his brother and two sisters. Mark Ruffalo's Tragic Past - Looper.com Around 2000, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a brain tumor known as an acoustic neuroma. Unperturbed, Ruffalo told GQ (via Fox News) that he found the rumor funny, but that didn't stop different outlets from running stories about his supposed terrorist ties. In fact, he made his directorial debut withSympathy for Delicious, a film about a paralyzed DJ who enters into faith-healing. 2008 also saw Ruffalo in Brian Goodman's What Doesn't Kill You with Ethan Hawke and Amanda Peet, which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. } else { The future star's neighbor was stabbed 12 times on Ruffalo's front porch after attempting to stop some local kids from stealing a car, and the violence even followed him to work. Worse still, that side of his face was completely paralyzed he couldn't even close his eye. [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. Recalling the events in an interview with the Acoustic Neuroma association, he said: I could hear some murmurings in the room next door and she came in and she was white as a sheet and she sat down and she said `you have a mass behind your left ear the size of a golf ball'.". Fans Can't Stop Talking About Tom Holland's Face In Mark Ruffalo's MCU Picture, Mark Ruffalo Almost Passed On His Iconic '13 Going On 30' Role, The Real Reason Lisa Marie Presley Divorced Michael Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow Avoided Speaking Directly To The Restaurant Staff And Instead Ordered Through Her Personal Assistant, Despite The Age Gap, Joel Madden And Hilary Duff Don't Have Any Regrets About Their Relationship. 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. Just as Ruffalo's career was starting to pick up, he was forced to withdraw from acting due to some scary health issues and their lingering effects. The Tragic Truth About Mark Ruffalo's Health Issues - TheThings In school, he often felt like the odd one out. [66], In October 2019, Ruffalo tweeted that "until George W. Bush is brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War, (including American-led torture, Iraqi deaths & displacement, and the deep scarsemotional & otherwiseinflicted on our military that served his folly), we cant even begin to talk about kindness. The Avengers star hid this all away from the public. "My father told me that my heart had stopped briefly on the operating table," he explained. Ruffalo and Scott were always close, even for brothers. [34], In 2015, Ruffalo supported "Education Is Not a Crime" campaign among a lot of artists and intellectuals including Nazanin Boniadi, Abbas Milani, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Azar Nafisi, Omid Djalili, Eva LaRue, Mohammad Maleki (former president of the University of Tehran), and Nobel Peace laureates such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkol Karman, Jody Williams, and Mairead Maguire, to draw attention to the Iranian government's systematic denial of university education to young Baha'is. "It reminded me that life is short and you'd better do what you want while you have a chance." I had never seen a human being change that much." Ruffalo, 34 at the time, was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma in 2001, a benign brain tumour that slowly grows on the nerve used for hearing and balance. The actor says that while he experienced no notable symptoms after being diagnosed, he was advised to get surgery quickly as the tumor was resting on a facial nerve. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. The next year in 2015, he starred as a father of two with bipolar disorder in the independent comedy film Infinitely Polar Bear, for which he earned a Golden Globe Award nomination, and he also appeared as journalist Michael Rezendes in the drama film Spotlight, for which he earned his third Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA Award nomination. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Read on to learn the stranger-than-fiction way he learned of his condition, and why he now views the experience as a gift. "I had a friend who had been a longtime drug addict," Ruffalo told Rolling Stone. [1] His father is of Italian descent, from Girifalco[3] and his mother is of French Canadian and Italian ancestry. [60], Ruffalo was interviewed by "We Are Change" at an anti-war rally in 2007. But finally the paralysis did start to go.