Mark Ruffalo Hates The Hulk Suit

Summary

Fresh Air: Mark Ruffalo Hates The Hulk Suit – Detailed Summary

Release Date: December 31, 2024
Host: Sam Brigger
Guest: Mark Ruffalo
Producer: Sam Brigger

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Fresh Air, Sam Brigger sits down with acclaimed actor Mark Ruffalo to delve into his versatile career, exploring his recent Oscar-nominated performance in Poor Things, his long-standing role as the Incredible Hulk, and his personal journey through significant life challenges. The conversation offers listeners a comprehensive look at Ruffalo’s approach to acting, his experiences in both comedic and dramatic roles, and the interplay between his personal and professional life.

Exploring Poor Things and a Departure from Superhero Roles

Mark Ruffalo begins by discussing his role as Duncan Wedderburn in Poor Things, a character that marks a significant departure from his iconic portrayal of the Hulk in the Marvel Universe. Sam Brigger introduces the character, highlighting Duncan's charm and flaws, and sets the stage for Ruffalo to elaborate on the nuances of this complex role.

Notable Quote:
[02:59] Mark Ruffalo: "I really wanted to be great in a Yorgos Lanthimos movie. And so I said to him, it's ridiculous now, but I said to him a year ago, I want to work with you. I love you. I don't want to suck in your movie. And I don't know if I'm the right guy for this."

Ruffalo expresses his initial trepidation about taking on a role that diverges so sharply from his established persona. His desire to break free from societal typecasting and prove his versatility as an actor is evident. Lanthimos’s direction and the film’s unique narrative provided Ruffalo with an opportunity to explore new facets of his craft.

Embracing Comedy: Challenges and Revelations

Transitioning into a discussion about his foray into broader comedic roles, Ruffalo compares his experiences in Poor Things to his previous work. He reflects on the physicality and spontaneity required in comedy, contrasting it with the more restrained nature of dramatic performances.

Notable Quote:
[05:14] Mark Ruffalo: "Even in the dramatic roles, I feel like I've always kind of had one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave. To just do all-out comedy, that's so physical and that pratfall is such an interesting thing because, you know, in comedy you have to be very open to play..."

Ruffalo highlights how comedy demands a different kind of openness and readiness to engage with unexpected moments, often leading to some of the most memorable and authentic performances.

The Hulk Suit: A Love-Hate Relationship

A significant portion of the interview delves into Ruffalo’s relationship with his role as the Hulk. He candidly discusses the discomfort and challenges of performing in a motion-capture suit, revealing a mix of frustration and appreciation for the technological advancements that have made the role more feasible over time.

Notable Quote:
[14:40] Mark Ruffalo: "I hated it. It's the Hulk suit. You know, it makes you look big everywhere you want to look small and small everywhere you want to look big. It's the most humiliating thing in the world."

Despite his frustrations, Ruffalo acknowledges that his theater training prepared him for the imaginative demands of motion capture acting, allowing him to bring depth and emotion to a character that is otherwise dependent on visual effects.

Navigating Celebrity and Personal Space

Ruffalo opens up about the double-edged sword of fame, particularly after joining the Marvel Universe. He discusses the loss of anonymity and the techniques he employs to maintain a semblance of privacy, such as wearing oversized hats or distinctive glasses to avoid recognition in public.

Notable Quote:
[17:59] Mark Ruffalo: "It was a radical change in every way. I live publicly. I do lament the loss of being able to observe the world without it observing me back."

This segment provides insight into the personal sacrifices and adjustments actors like Ruffalo must make to balance public recognition with personal well-being.

Portraying Real-Life Figures: Method and Connection

Ruffalo shares his experiences working on films based on historical events, such as Zodiac and Spotlight. He emphasizes the importance of immersing himself in the lives of the real people he portrays, developing genuine connections to deliver authentic performances.

Notable Quote:
[24:53] Mark Ruffalo: "I read it, and I said, I have to play this. There's no one else in the world that could play this. And I gotta somehow convince Kenny of that."

His dedication to embodying the essence of real individuals shines through, showcasing his commitment to transformative acting.

Childhood, Faith, and Personal Struggles

The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Ruffalo discusses his unconventional religious upbringing and a life-altering health scare. Raised in a household with diverse religious influences, he recounts his experience of being "saved" by a televangelist at a young age, an event that left him grappling with faith and identity.

Notable Quote:
[29:50] Mark Ruffalo: "I was like, I'll do whatever you want, Grandma. [...] I just kind of went with it."

Moreover, Ruffalo bravely shares his battle with a benign brain tumor, detailing the physical and emotional toll it took on him and his family. This ordeal not only tested his resilience but also deepened his empathy and understanding of human vulnerability.

Notable Quote:
[45:24] Mark Ruffalo: "It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, really. I learned so much from it, and I had the good version of it where my face did come back."

Reflections and Lessons Learned

Ruffalo reflects on how his personal experiences have influenced his acting and outlook on life. From overcoming health challenges to navigating the pressures of fame, he emphasizes the importance of gratitude, compassion, and the fragility of life.

Notable Quote:
[47:20] Mark Ruffalo: "It made me compassionate. It made me aware of loss. It made me aware of, you know, how fragile life is. It just gave me so many lessons."

Conclusion

Mark Ruffalo’s interview on Fresh Air offers a profound exploration of his multifaceted career and personal journey. From challenging industry typecasting to embracing the complexities of both comedic and dramatic roles, Ruffalo demonstrates a relentless pursuit of artistic growth. His candid discussions about fame, faith, and overcoming adversity provide listeners with a deeper understanding of the man behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic characters.

Key Takeaways

• Versatility in Acting: Ruffalo’s ability to transition between diverse roles, from the Hulk to complex characters in indie films, highlights his range and dedication to his craft.
• Challenges of Motion Capture: Acting in a suit like the Hulk presents unique challenges, pushing actors to rely heavily on imagination and physicality.
• Impact of Fame: Navigating public recognition requires strategic measures to maintain personal privacy and mental well-being.
• Personal Resilience: Overcoming a serious health scare has profoundly shaped Ruffalo’s outlook on life, fostering empathy and a deeper appreciation for life’s fragility.
• Commitment to Authenticity: Whether portraying real-life figures or fictional characters, Ruffalo’s commitment to authenticity ensures compelling and believable performances.

Mark Ruffalo’s insightful reflections provide inspiration and a nuanced perspective on the intersection of personal experience and professional artistry, making this episode a must-listen for fans and aspiring actors alike.

Transcript

[Lagavulin]

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[Terry Gross]

This is FRESH air. I'm Terry Gross. We're continuing our End of the Year series featuring a few of the 2024 interviews we particularly enjoyed. On this episode, we have an interview with Mark Ruffalo. This year he was nominated for an Oscar in the best supporting actor category for his role in the movie Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. He spoke with our producer Sam Brigger in February about that role and his career. Here's Sam.

[Sam Brigger]

In Poor Things, Mark Ruffalo plays a character described in the movie as a cad and a rake. His name is Duncan Wedderburn, and he seduces Emma Stone's character, Bella Baxter, to run away from her home and fiance and have an adventure with him in Lisbon. Lets hear a scene.

[Mark Ruffalo]

You're a prisoner and I aim to free you. Something in you. Some hungry being hungry for experience, freedom, touch you see the unknown and know it. So why am I here, you ask? I'm going to Lisbon on Friday. I'd like you to come. Lisbon of Portugal, that is Lisbon I speak of God.

[Emma Stone]

Never allow it.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That's why I'm not asking him. I'm asking you.

[Emma Stone]

Bella. Not safe with you.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I think you are absolutely not.

[Sam Brigger]

In that scene, Duncan Wedderburn is looking at Bella Baxter like a cartoon cat who's trapped the canary. What he doesn't realize is that Bella Baxter is no ordinary young innocent to corrupt. She is in fact, the result of a Frankenstein like experiment by a scientist played by Willem Dafoe, who reanimated a dead woman's body by replacing her brain with the brain of her unborn baby. Bella goes through a rapid awakening to the world around her and to her own body. And like an infant who doesn't yet know society's norms, is uninhibited to a degree that both attracts Wedderburn and and undoes him. Mark Ruffalo's performance in Poor Things is hilarious and delicious, and he himself describes it as a big departure from his previous work in movies like Zodiac, Spotlight, Foxcatcher, the Kids Are All Right, You Can Count On Me, and of course, several Marvel movies and TV shows where he plays the Incredible Hulk. Well, Mark Ruffalo, welcome back to FRESH air.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Thanks, Sam. It's really nice to be here.

[Sam Brigger]

It's nice to have you, you said you had some trepidation about taking on this. What were your concerns?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Well, you know, I hadn't really played anything like this, and I hadn't done an accent. I hadn't really done any kind of a period piece. And, you know, you sort of, you have a career going and you sort of get a brand and mistakenly you start to believe maybe that's who you are. That's how the world wants to see you. And I really wanted to be great in a Yorgos Lanthimos movie. And so I said to him, it's ridiculous now, but I said to him a year ago, I want to work with you. I love you. I don't want to suck in your movie. And I don't know if I'm the right guy for this.

[Sam Brigger]

So did he have to convince you?

[Mark Ruffalo]

It didn't take very much. He just, he just laughed at me. He's just like, you're him. And he just refused to even entertain my trepidation.

[Sam Brigger]

Well, it is such a fun role. Like, once you accepted it, did you have fun doing it?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Oh, my God, it was such a blast. It was so freeing. And, you know, you don't realize where a certain role is going to take you. They all take you on kind of a journey, you know, and they all sort of, if you let them talk to some part of you, some somewhere you are, somewhere you want to be or something that's, you know, maybe on your mind subconsciously. And it was really about just being free.

[Sam Brigger]

You've been in like, romantic comedies and you've been in, in movies that have comedic elements like the Brothers Bloom and even in the Avengers movies. But I don't think you've ever had a role that was so broadly comic as this one. I mean, you even do a pratfall at one point. So can you just sort of compare what it's like to act in something that's comedic like this compared to your more like dramatic roles?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah, it's, you know, even in the dramatic roles, I feel like I've always kind of had one foot on a banana appeal and the other in the grave. You know, it's like I just, I see that as like the aesthetic that I, I want to, you know, that I'm is my North Star, if I could find a way of doing it. But to just do all out comedy, that's so physical and that Pratt fall is such an interesting thing because, you know, in comedy and what I find is that you have to be very open to play and it's not an inner thing. It's this open thing. And it happens in this kind of special space that's outside yourself. And so you have to be very open and aware and ready to grab whatever's being given to you and then play with it. And that pratfall. I think it's the one you're talking about when I come up the stairs.

[Sam Brigger]

Yeah, you're almost like skating up the stairs, like your arms are going back and forth, and then at the landing you just go flop over.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That was an accident.

[Sam Brigger]

Oh, it was, yes.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And it was like. But that's the thing. Like, if you're really in. If you're in the flow of comedy, the accidents are the gold. Those are the gifts from God. You know, there's another moment in the movie where Duncan farts when Max McCandless comes in to confront. Confront him. Right. And that was. That was like. The acting gods just filled my belly with gas. And I was like, here we go. And poor Rami looked at me. He was so outraged and, like, humiliated. And it was. It was just a perfect. It was like, we're into the scene and it was literally. That one take was the take that. That. That Yorgos used. But I. I guess I'm telling you, that is like, what. You know, great comedy is something that happens spontaneously and is. Is playful and that's. That's. I mean, the same thing happens with. With drama. But, you know, people are so much more well behaved around drama. So those. Those moments, you know, I can't lift. I can't lift my. My butt up and, you know, let one rip in, you know, spotlight or Foxcatcher. You know, maybe foxcatcher, but nowhere else.

[Sam Brigger]

The character in the movie is described as a cad and a rake, and he's disreputable, but he's definitely working within the boundaries of society. And he's challenged and finally undone by Emma Stone's complete uninhibitedness. Can you talk about that?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah. I mean, it's such an interesting character in that way, because he wants to project himself as the freewheeling, free loving, libertine centralist. But really, at his core, he's incredibly conventional. He's very conventional in his idea of a man's place in the world and a woman's place in the world. And we see somebody whose whole projection of his personality comes undone when those concepts are really put to test by love, whatever she strikes in him that he supposes is love, whatever version of love he can get closest to. And we see that he's he's actually incredibly fragile and he's actually incredibly needy and he's actually incredibly vulnerable.

[Sam Brigger]

Well, let's hear a clip of him sort of getting undone by Emma Stone's behavior. This. This scene takes place. The two characters have been put ashore in France and Paris penniless, and you're completely dispirited. And Bella Baxter, Emma Stone's character, decides to go find money. And so she prostitutes herself to get money and then comes back eating, like, pastries. I can't remember.

[Mark Ruffalo]

It's an eclair.

[Sam Brigger]

Yeah, eclair. Eating eclair. And you're like, where'd this come from? So let's hear some of that scene.

[Emma Stone]

I took his money, I thanked him, I laughed all the way to buy us these eclairs. And I thought so fondly, remembering the beer sweaty nights of ours for money. And as an experiment, it is good for our relationship as it gladdens my heart toward you. My heart has been a bit dim on your weepy sweary person lately.

[Mark Ruffalo]

You are a monster, a horn, a monster, A demon sent from hell to rip my spirit to shreds, to punish my tiny sins with a tsunami of destruction to take my heart and pull it like toffee to ruin me. I look at you when I see nothing but ugliness.

[Emma Stone]

That last bit was uncalled for and makes no sense as your odes to my beauty have been boring but constant. And this simple act erased all that you hoard yourself that you are now going to explain to me as bad Can I never win with you?

[Mark Ruffalo]

It is the worst thing women can do.

[Emma Stone]

We should definitely never marry. I am a flawed, experimenting person and I will need a husband with a more forgiving disposition.

[Sam Brigger]

That's Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone in Poor Things, as Mark Ruffalo's character Duncan Wedderburn sort of falls apart. Just the onslaught of Emma Stone's uninhibitedness. So, you know, there's a sex scene montage in Poor Things that I wanted to talk to you about. Like, you've done sex scenes before, but this is sex played for comedy. Like, it's not supposed to be sexy. I mean, it's meant to make the audience laugh. I mean, the characters are having a good time, but it's filmed to look awkward and rutting and your character's even wearing a corset. So can you talk about, like, doing that kind of scene for comedy?

[Mark Ruffalo]

The only time you want to do that kind of scene is if it's for comedy. It's Just so. It's just so horrible and awkward. And it's so horrible and awkward for everybody else. And then you add in the intimacy coordinator who's like, literally giving you the thumbs up from behind the camera, you know, or giving you notes on your technique. So we knew that was going to be a montage. At one point, we were talking about trying to do every position in the Kama Sutra, but there's like 110 now. I think they. You know, when you see it. Yeah. When you see the helicopter or the, you know, the. The. The rowboat, you know, you're like, okay, they didn't come up with that in a Kama Sutra time, you know, but it's. Yeah. To do that and to have in mind the comic. There's a lot. You could do a lot of comedy with sex scenes. You know, I mean, they're already, like, kind of comic just by themselves.

[Sam Brigger]

So, Mark, I have to ask you about the big green guy.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah.

[Sam Brigger]

Since 2012, you've been playing Incredible Hulk, and as I said, you know, a bunch of different Marvel movies and TV shows, starting with the first Avengers movie. So in 2012, there were just a lot of superhero movies out there, and a lot of really good actors were being swept up in them. Like, particularly Robert Downey Jr. Playing Iron Man. But did you ever think you were gonna play a superhero?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Honestly, not in my wildest dreams did I ever see myself coming from, you know, you can count on me, or even a romantic comedy 13 going on 30 or in the cut to doing a superhero movie. But, you know, you mentioned Robert revolutionized the sort of tentpole studio film and really the industry by his performance in Iron Man. And they took a big, you know, swing with him, and it really paid off. But what Robert did was he created a space for really complex indie actors to come into these big, you know, spectacle films and ground them in really wonderful character work.

[Sam Brigger]

To play the Hulk, you have to spend a lot of time acting in a motion capture suit. Like, did you have any apprehensions about doing that?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I hated it. It's the man canceling suit. You know, it makes you look big everywhere you want to look small and small everywhere. Everywhere you want to look big. You know, it's just like. It's the most humiliating thing in the world. I had a little loincloth made for it at one point as the years went on, you know, because it's just so not modest and so, you know, you're. It's the most vulnerable thing in the world, you know, as an actor you know, you learn to love a costume. You learn to hide behind props. You learn to sink into a set and lose yourself in the world. But when you're in green screen and you know it's just you and you're naked and it's all your imagination, you have to put things there that aren't there. You have to play off people that aren't there. You have to use props that aren't there. This is in the beginning. It's changed quite a bit now. But you know what? I found that all the theater training that I had, you know, you walk onto a stage and you're in a black box, basically. You have to really develop your imagination to make that place a forest or a castle or, you know, a desolate landscape in, you know, Samuel Beckett's mind of nowhere and no place and make that real and something that you can live off of. So in a lot of ways, this ancient technology that I'd been so versed in actually was the best preparation for this new modern thing that was happening.

[Sam Brigger]

That's really interesting. What about just in terms of being expressive with your face, because your face is obviously a big tool for an actor, Were you concerned that you would be doing all this work and it wouldn't be accurately captured by the animation?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I was, you know. You know, what was amazing in the beginning was you couldn't shoot the body portion and the face portion at the same time. So I was locked down. You literally could not move your head, and they would capture your facial gestures in this orb, and you couldn't move your head. And I was such a physical actor, and I. It's all connected, you know, And I just found that to be incredibly difficult and even frustrating. And as the technology moved along and I was developing it with them, I was telling them my experience. I was, you know, saying, this would be better if we could do this. And they're like, oh, yeah, we're working on that. To now where I can walk on a set in my motion capture suit, I could play with the other actors. I could pick up props. I could do everything that you were not allowed to do in the beginning. And it's just this huge technological leap.

[Sam Brigger]

What about the celebrity from being part of the Marvel universe? By the time you started being the Incredible Hulk, you were already a very well known and successful actor. But was the celebrity and the recognition sort of exponentially different?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Oh, my God. I mean, I wasn't. I mean, I wasn't well known in comparison. I. It was a radical change in every way. That I live publicly. I do lament the loss of being able to observe the world without it observing me back or being the one observed. But, you know, it's it's this, you know, it's like everything, it's it's a blessing and it's a it's a curse at once.

[Sam Brigger]

Does it take away from, like, simple things like walking down the street or, like, going for a hike or something?

[Mark Ruffalo]

It can, you know, I did have developed this incredible way if I'm by myself, I could pretty much disappear, especially in New York. I mean, no one looks at each other in New York. You know, they just we're so on top of each other that everyone wants to give each other their space, and they want their space in an emotional sense. And so that means not looking people in the face or the eyes. You know, you'd be on the subway and there's 100 people there and not one person's unless they know each other or they're a tourist is looking at anybody else, you know, they got their head down or in the phone or in the book, sleeping, whatever.

[Sam Brigger]

Do you have to do, like, the cap and sunglasses thing all the time?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I'll do that. Or, you know, I'll wear such a ridiculous hat or like, you know, my glasses are so ridiculous that people are embarrassed to look at me. It's like it's like, you know, a camouflage of unsightliness.

[Sam Brigger]

If you're just joining us, our guest is actor Mark Ruffalo. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best supporting actor for his role in the film Poor Things. We'll be back after a short break. This is FRESH air.

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[Sam Brigger]

This is FRESH air. I'm Sam Brigger. One of our favorite interviews from the year was with our guest, Mark Ruffalo. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film Poor Things. Some of his other movies include Spotlight, Foxcatcher, the Kids Are All Right, Zodiac, and you'd Can Count on Me. He's also played the Incredible Hulk in many Marvel movies and TV shows. Mark to prepare for this interview, I watched a lot of your films. And I watched this trio of films that you did, which are all based on historical events. There's actually some sort of similarity between them. This is Zodiac, Foxcatcher, and Spotlight. And I read that for two of those movies, the people you were portraying were still alive, and you got to spend time with them, got to know them. And this was Dave Toschi, who was one of the detectives investigating the Zodiac killings. And then for Spotlight, you spent time with one of the reporters who was investigating the sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, Mike Rosendes. So when you're portraying a historical figure, an actual person, like, how much of an effort do you make to try to be as much like them as possible? Let's stick with Mike Rezendi. How much time did you spend with him?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Oh, days. And, you know, we became. We became. We became friends. And I asked that he if it was okay for him to be with us while we were shooting. And obviously, he's so invested in it. He was actually a filmmaker. First. He went to AFI in the screenwriting program, and he just became this invaluable reference for all of us. But I went to the Globe the first day. You know, I had my phone camera, and I had my notepad, and. And I just said, hey. I really just, you know, like to sit down and watch you work and watch you, you know, work the phones and. And, you know, just watch you do what you do. And if you don't mind, I'd like to, you know, shoot a little bit of it. And he's like, okay, I'm not really used to that. I'm usually the one who's doing the questions and, you know, the recording. But, yeah, okay. And I. It's funny because this. I know. I know what this process is now. People, they come to you, and they're nervous and they're afraid in a way, and then they start to slowly get to know you, and they start to open up, and they feel safe, and they realize that you're just there trying to do right by them, and eventually they show you who they are. And. But Mike didn't take very long. And, you know, I saw him working those phones, and he had a little bit of a temper sometimes, too, which I also just loved, you know? And after that, we usually have to have a drink with somebody for really. For them to feel safe with you. That's what I found. And after you have a drink with them, all of a sudden, you know, it's like, okay, we shared the wine. We broke the bread. Let's but we could be real.

[Sam Brigger]

Well, what were some of the mannerisms that you saw that you tried to emulate in your performance?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Certain people have, you know, tension in their bodies in certain places or. And it makes them move a certain way. Mike had a sort of, like, attention in his solar plexus area, and it's sort of. It sort of, like tilts his pelvis forward a little bit, and it's just a subtle thing. But, you know, the physical work that I've learned how to do was, you know, if you could start picking up some physical qualities of a person, it actually starts to inform a lot about them. And there's a toughness about someone who's holding their pelvis. I mean, you know, where they're holding their solar plexus like that. You know, it's someone who's, like, protecting something, and it makes you walk a certain way, and it. It sort of pulls down on your. On your. Your spine, your. Your vocal cords in a certain way. And if you can just listen to that a little bit, you start to. You start to get something about the person. And. Yeah, so for Mike, it was that, you know, these little things. I don't know what it is, but when I'm watching someone, I'm like, oh, that's really interesting. I want to try to assume some of that. I want to. But I also found when you start doing that, there's an inner quality that starts to come into view.

[Sam Brigger]

I think that's really interesting.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Okay, good. I mean, sometimes I start talking about this, and people, like, literally glaze over. They're like, okay.

[Sam Brigger]

Mark, I wanted to ask you a little bit about your childhood. It sounds like your family moved around a bit. Like, you were born in Wisconsin, but then you spent some time in Virginia and then California, right?

[Mark Ruffalo]

That's right.

[Sam Brigger]

I think your family was Catholic. But it sounds like there were some active seekers of religion in the household, is that correct?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yes, it was a very interesting household, religiously speaking. My family was Italian Catholics, very Catholic, my grandparents. Then my mom and her mother became evangelicals in the first assembly of God, Pentecostal, Jimmy Swaggart era. And my dad split off completely in a whole other direction into the Baha'I faith. And so, you know, you're in the family and everyone's participating. And so I was introduced to all three.

[Sam Brigger]

Well, you actually were. You were saved by the televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, right?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I was.

[Sam Brigger]

Was that first, like. Was that on tv?

[Mark Ruffalo]

No, no, no. You know, there was the first assembly of God in in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at the time. And my grandmother's a member of it. And, you know, these different evangelical preachers would. Would, you know, sort of tour, and he was the star of. Of that. At that time. He was. You know, he was there, you know, Elvis of. Of evangel. And there was music. I mean, it was. It was a pretty lively experience. And so my grandmother, for her birthday, asked me to be saved, and I was like, saved from what? I'm like, I'm eight, you know, like, what am I? I haven't even gotten to do anything yet, really. And it was like, no, you were born. I mean, the second you come through the birth canal, you've sinned, you know, like, that's. You know, that's the original sin. I'm like, oh, yeah, okay. Oh, yeah. Makes sense to me. But I was like, I'll. Yeah, I'll do whatever you want, Grandma, you know?

[Sam Brigger]

So what was that? Like, did everyone sort of line up.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Or get like, yeah, so they bring the kids down. Like, it was a special moment. We're like, okay, we're gonna bring the children down, you know? And so I'm walking down there, I was like, I want to be saved. I mean, I don't want to go to hell. I certainly don't. You know, like, that would suck. And it's gonna make my grandma happy. But, man, this is so down here. And he's so sweaty, and everyone's, like, talking in different languages. And it was. So I got down there, and we're lined up, and they're going. You know, each kid's getting preyed on from kid to kid, and they're falling down or, you know, people are falling over, and it wasn't happening. And I was like, I'm not feeling it. And then finally, I was like, oh, man, I'm not gonna be the one who's like, doesn't get Jesus today. I'm like, no, not me. Nuh. And I just kind of went with it, you know?

[Sam Brigger]

So you fell over, too?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah, and it was horrible.

[Sam Brigger]

Did you feel bad? You feel like you were kind of.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Oh, God, I felt so ashamed. Yeah. Are you kidding me? I was like, I didn't feel anything. Like, I was supposed. Everyone's here is, like, feeling so much, and I didn't feel anything. And, you know, I went back up there, and she's like, how was it? I was like, oh, it's really good. You know? She's like, did you feel. I was like, yeah, yeah, I felt it. Yeah. And, man, I mean, what that sets up in you at so early an age is so difficult for your relate. You know, your ongoing relationship just became this thing that was always there that I didn't understand. Now I do, but I didn't then. And it was just a, you know, just shameful feeling.

[Sam Brigger]

If you're just joining us, our guest is actor Mark Ruffalo. We'll be back after a short break. This is FRESH AIR.

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[Sam Brigger]

Hi, I'm Ramtin Arablouei from Throughline. Electricity, Internet, cell service, all the things we rely on every day can be unreliable or inaccessible in an emergency. But through any storage crisis, radio is a lifeline. Support the resource that's here for you no matter what. Give [e-mail] this is FRESH AIR. Our guest is actor Mark Ruffalo, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best supporting actor in the film Poor Things. How did you get into acting? Like, is that something you felt good at right away? Did it come easy naturally to you?

[Mark Ruffalo]

No, no, I sucked. I, I wanted to be an actor from very early on. I just didn't know what acting really was. You know, I had already found myself performing. I found myself, you know, doing skits from the Three Stooges, you know, doing slapstick pretending I was Charlie Chaplin, like I was doing all that. But there was no culture for that in, you know, in my family, they were paint house painters. Then they became construction painters. They were business people. They were very serious making money. And there wasn't a lot of room for this kind of being a dreamer. So it just wasn't anything that was a possibility to me. My senior year of high school, I dropped out of wrestling. I was an avid wrestler and I dropped out of wrestling to join the drama department because I'd walk by the drama department and they'd all be wrestling on the ground just like us. But it was like 10 girls and two guys. And, you know, I was like, why am I not doing that wrestling? You know. And so I and I went in there and I was just thrilled by it, how emotionally open it was and diverse and accepting and silly and, you know, everything. You couldn't be as A young man, you know, and one of the kids in the play broke his arm. And my teacher, Nancy Curtis, who was like this great theater teacher in the middle of Virginia beach, like, really great, came to me and said, I want you to replace Scott. And I said, you do? And she's like, yeah. And I was like, I don't know. I don't know if I could do it. She's like, I think you could do it. And so I did it. And I did the first scene, and I was basically just ripping off Peter Falk and Columbo. And I did the first scene and I got a big laugh, and I said, oh, my God, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. This is amazing.

[Sam Brigger]

So it was like that feedback that you got.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yes, that. That relationship, you know, it's like it was. It was just magical because not only did I get to laugh, but I knew. I knew the laugh was coming. I felt this communication with the audience, and it was telling me what it was asking for, and then it was responding with the laugh or the silence or whatever. And I went to Nancy afterwards. I said, Mrs. Curtis. Yes, Mark? Do you think it's too late for me to, like, become an actor? I mean, I'm already 18. She just like, no, Mark, I don't think it's too late. Yes, I think you could become an actor.

[Sam Brigger]

That sounds like a very vulnerable moment for you.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Oh, it's horrible. I mean, I was a jock, I was a surfer, I was a skater. I was in a punk band. You know, like, I was as much a dude as you could possibly be. But I also just had this, you know, this other thing that I wanted to try.

[Sam Brigger]

Yeah. At some point you decided to make a go of it, right? Like, you must have been getting some encouragement from. From her and then from other people to sort of get you to take a chance and to move to LA eventually.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Well, my family moved to San Diego the day after I graduated from high school. And, you know, I. All my friends had gotten into colleges. I didn't get into any colleges. I was a terrible student. I didn't even really apply to that many. And I ended up in San Diego, and I didn't have a plan. And, you know, through a whole fantastical set of circumstances, I heard about the Stella Adler Conservatory in Los Angeles. That was, like, two hours away.

[Sam Brigger]

Was Stella Adler teaching there when you were there?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah, yeah, she was there. But, you know, I had the good fortune of walking in the school and there was a woman there, Joanne Linville. Who I recognized immediately as the Romulan commander of Star. And she said, what are you doing here? And I said, I don't, I don't have an audition. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't have any real training, but I want to spend my life being an actor. And she said, well, darling, you've come to the right place. And she really took me under her wing. And I wasn't good in the beginning, and it took me a long time. You know who I was in class with who was amazing was Benicio del Toro. Like, literally the second he walked in, he was amazing. And I looked at him, I was like, oh, my God, I'll never be that guy. And, yeah, it took me a long time and a lot of a lot of auditions before I started to figure out what I was doing.

[Sam Brigger]

If you're just joining us, we're speaking with actor Mark Ruffalo. More after a break. This is FRESH air.

[Mark Ruffalo]

All this year, NPR traveled the country hearing from voters not just about the issues, but about their hopes for the country's future. We should be able to disagree with.

[Sam Brigger]

Each other without bullying each other into.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Submission and what it means to be a part of a democracy. Invest in coverage that moves us forward together by giving [e-mail] hi, I'm Kathryn.

[Lagavulin]

Marr, CEO of NPR, where we're guided by a bold mission to create a more informed public. Join us today by [e-mail] this message comes from Instacart. The holidays are all about sharing with family meals, stories, Grandma's secret pecan pie recipe. And now you can also share a cart. With Instacart's family carts, everyone can add what they want to one group cart from wherever they are. So you don't have to go from room to room to collect votes for sugar cookies versus shortbread. Just share a cart, download the Instacart app and get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. Plus, enjoy free delivery on your first three orders. Service fees and terms apply.

[Sam Brigger]

This is FRESH AIR. Our guest is actor Mark Ruffalo, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance on the movie Poor Things. So, you know, your big break was the 2000 Kenneth Lonergan movie youe Can Count on Me, which I watched again this week. It's such a terrific movie. You play Terry. You've got a sister, Sammy, who's played by Laura Linney. And you guys were orphaned early in life. Your parents died in a car crash. What did you think of this character when you read the script, like, he's often a jerk, but he's also, like, a pretty good guy and. And tries to do the right thing a lot, and he's just been damaged by this awful tragedy when he was a kid.

[Mark Ruffalo]

He was so many people that I knew growing up, and he just felt so close to me. I read it, and I said, I have to play this. There's no one else in the world that could play this. And I gotta somehow convince Kenny of that. Who at the time was really, you know, because of financial reasons and the way movies are made. He was. You know, he was dead set on getting a star to do it, and I wasn't that, but I just was so moved by it, and. And I felt I gotta play this. There's no one else.

[Sam Brigger]

You begged to get the role, huh?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Basically. I mean, you know, Kenny was like, you know, I can't. You know, I can't use you. You know, you don't look anything like Laura Linney. She's the one we're gonna cast. And I was just like. Just let me come in for an audition, man. You know, we're like, I'm your. I'm a good friend. And, you know, and. And he's like, fine, Just don't sic your manager on me. And I was like, fine, I won't. You know, and he. So, buddy, he said, okay, you know, the casting's closed. We're gonna go to another actor on Monday, so just come to the production office, and I'll. I'll tape you myself, and I'll. And I'll read the sides with you. I was like, thank you. And I went in there, and I was. Man, I knew I had to be better than if I even ever got the part. And so I worked on it, and I worked on it, and I worked on it, and I knew it. And I went in there, and I already knew I had nothing to lose. So I was so free. And we read the first scene. He's holding the camera in one hand and reading the lines in the other, right? And after the first scene, he's like, that's really good.

[Sam Brigger]

He was unhappy about that.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah. It wasn't like. It wasn't. It wasn't Joy. Like, all right, let's read the next one. And then I was like, oh, that was really good. You'd be really good in this part. And slowly but surely, I won him over.

[Sam Brigger]

Well, he made a good decision casting you.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Thank God.

[Sam Brigger]

Great performance.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Oh, I don't know what would happen to me if I didn't get that role.

[Sam Brigger]

This is your big break, and you start getting asked to do a lot of roles, but then everything just. You have to go on. Halt. You've talked about this a bunch, but you were diagnosed with a brain tumor, which turned out to be benign. You had to have this operation. You had to deal with all these side effects. You had to do all this rehabilitation. I mean, fortunately, you were able to. To really get through it. But it took a while and, like, it just must have been. I mean, obviously it's a terrible thing to happen in your life, but just in terms of your career, like, that must have been so discouraging because, like, here you are just breaking out, and then your body just shuts it all down. Like, did that experience make you forever, like, suspicious of success? Like, you might be good now, but you don't know what's coming around the corner?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Oh, for sure. I. You know, I. To this day, I'm still, like, waiting for the piano to fall. But that was particularly difficult because, you know, I was just starting a family. You know, I just bought a house based on this next big job that was coming, which was with M. Night Shyamalan and Signs, co starring with Mel Gibson. I mean, it was. It was just like this explosion from that movie and I was the hot guy, and it was all before me, me. And it was everything that I'd ever dreamed of, and I'd reached it. I was 33, and it was gone like that. And I woke up and my face was paralyzed. And they didn't know if it was ever going to come back. And I couldn't even close my eye, and I looked terrible. And I have a baby at home. And my whole life was trying to get to that moment, and it seemed pretty much like it was over. And if I. And whatever feeling I had about God at that moment, let me tell you, we had a talking to. Like, I couldn't be more pissed at anything than I was at that moment. To whatever, if there is or if there isn't a deity, you know, which is probably a common feeling people have.

[Sam Brigger]

Yeah, well, I was actually really interested in that particular aspect of this because, like, as we said, there's some spiritual searchers in your family, right? Like, your grandmother became an evangelist after being Catholic. Your father joined the Baha'I religion. Did this experience sort of alter the way you thought about spirituality or, like, even the soul or identity?

[Mark Ruffalo]

When it all comes crashing down around you, you sort of. You just become a believer for a moment, you know, like, please Please, please, please, please, please, please, please don't let the plane crash. Please go to church, you know. You know, it's amazing how many people, when the plane's going down, you see, praying. That was a real test of faith that I didn't really pass. I was, you know, I was like, this can't be happening. But of course it is happening. And it was happening. But I'll tell you, it's probably the best thing that ever happened to me, really. I learned so much from it, and I had the good version of it where my face did come back. So I lost everything. I went through that experience, which made me grateful. It made me, you know, it made me compassionate. It made me aware of loss. It made me aware of, you know, how fragile life is. It just gave me so many lessons. And at the end of the day, it didn't really cost me much except for the hearing in my left ear, which was the deal I made. Hey, dude, if you're really there, please don't leave my son fatherless. Just take my left ear. Cool. Yeah, you gotta be careful what deals you make.

[Sam Brigger]

Yeah.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That'S what I learned.

[Sam Brigger]

Well, it's been a real pleasure speaking with you. Mark Ruffalo, thanks so much for coming on the show.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Thanks, Sam. It was a great interview. It was really, really a great interview. I appreciate it.

[Terry Gross]

Mark Ruffalo spoke with our producer Sam Brigger in February. Our holiday week series, featuring a few of the 2024 interviews we particularly enjoyed, continues tomorrow with actor Sterling K. Brown. He was nominated for an Oscar this year for his supporting role in the film American Fiction. He's also known for his roles in the series this Is Us, the People v. O.J. simpson, and for the film Black Panther. But he started out as an economics major at Stanford and he interned at the Fed. I hope you'll join us to keep up with what's on the show and get highlights of our interviews. Follow us on Instagram at NPRFreshAir. Fresh Air's executive producer is Danny Miller. Our technical director is Audrey Bentham. Our engineer today is Adam Stanischewski. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers. Anne Marie Boldonado, Sam Brigger, Lauren Krenzel, Teresa Madden, Monique Nazareth, Thea Chaloner, Susan Yakundi, and Anna Bauman. Our digital media producer is Molly Sivi Nesper. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. Our co host is Tanya Mosley. I'm Terry Gross. All of us at FRESH AIR wish you a happy, fulfilling and healthy 2025.

[Lagavulin]

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