Mark Ruffalo (Extended) | Halftime Showdown

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Mark Ruffalo (Extended) | Halftime Showdown
Date: February 4, 2026

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Overview

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show delivers a trademark blend of topical monologue, political satire, and celebrity interview. Stephen Colbert deftly navigates everything from Super Bowl halftime controversies and current political madness to a revealing, playful conversation with actor and activist Mark Ruffalo. Along the way, Colbert and Ruffalo inject warmth and wit, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from Ruffalo's life and career.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show: Culture Wars and Comedy

• [00:29–03:39]
  • Colbert humorously addresses criticism about Bad Bunny being the main performer, noting how some falsely see him as "un-American" despite his Puerto Rican (and thus American) citizenship.
    • “Anyone who thinks it’s un-American to have an American perform at the Super Bowl is dumb, right?” — Stephen Colbert [03:19]
  • He playfully lists past halftime performers from other countries, highlighting the pointlessness of nativist outrage.
    • “Canadian Shania Twain, the UK’s Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney...” [03:42]
  • Satirical commentary on the “All American Halftime show” led by Kid Rock and a fictional roster of absurdly named country artists.
  • Mocks the proliferation of streaming platforms hosting these events: “Crunch, Cramble, Hunkle, Krampus and Paramount.” [06:45]
  • Touches on the Gen Z mascots for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Chicago’s snowplow naming contest, infusing segment with layered pop culture and local humor.

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2. Political Satire: Trump, Nationalized Elections & Conspiracies

• [12:58–19:37]
  • Colbert addresses Trump’s latest podcast rant alleging victory in 2020 and suggesting the GOP should “nationalize the voting” process in select areas.
    • “We’ve reached the rigging elections phase of fascism. Johnny, tell them what they’ve won!” — Stephen Colbert [14:43]
  • Jokes about the repetitive nature of Trump’s fraud claims and spiraling actions as the current (fictional) president.
    • “You are currently president again. Let it go.” [15:36]
  • Lampoons the involvement of Tulsi Gabbard as DNI, her call-in to Trump, and ensuing Fox News spin.
    • “I didn’t cheat on you. My genitals were just in the same area where the sex took place.” — Stephen Colbert [16:36]
  • Darkly comedic touch on the Jeffrey Epstein files’ revelations and the lack of prosecutions, echoing the bizarre normalization of scandal.
    • “It isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. Just like it’s not a crime to hold a potluck with Jeffrey Dahmer.” — Stephen Colbert [18:54]

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3. Interview: Mark Ruffalo’s Playful Past and Hollywood Journey

• Introduction & Childhood Anecdotes

  • [20:11–24:16]
    • Colbert expresses admiration for Ruffalo’s on-and-off-screen advocacy, then leads into Ruffalo’s childhood dreams in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
    • Ruffalo recalls ambitions to be a clown—complete with unicycling skills developed in earnest.
      • “I figured it wasn’t enough just to be a clown anymore, but you had to have a special extra talent.” — Mark Ruffalo [21:46]
      • “I’ve got very good at unicycling. I could unicycle forward, I could unicycle backward, ... tall ... short ... invisible.” [22:03]
  • Recalls sneaking into 4th of July parades as “uninvited clown interlopers.”

• Clown to Forest Ranger to Actor

  • [24:16–25:45]
    • Ruffalo describes spending time in the forest—a would-be forest ranger if not for acting.
    • Humorous exchange about the terror of running into a clown in the forest.

• Hollywood Trials: Lying at Auditions

  • [25:45–29:23]
    • Shares the classic actor’s foible—lying about his horse-riding ability to acclaimed director Ang Lee and the ensuing disastrous first attempt on set.
      • “I was basically just a sack on the back of a horse.” — Mark Ruffalo [26:08]
      • The horse bolts, attempts to knock him off against trees, and Ruffalo confuses the cues (“stop, stop, stop”)—all to Ang Lee’s bemused observation.
    • Ends the story with self-deprecating charm: “Should we do it again?”

• Crime 101 & Hemsworth Reunion

  • [29:23–33:40]
    • Ruffalo previews his new film “Crime 101”—a heist thriller set around the 101 Freeway in LA co-starring Halle Berry and Chris Hemsworth.
      • “It’s a real cat-and-mouse kind of mano a mano ... Halle Berry between us—just one of the great goddesses.” [30:04]
    • Colbert jokes about Hemsworth’s horse-riding prowess, and Ruffalo confesses he and Hemsworth slip into their familiar Marvel character dynamics on set, “not the characters we’re supposed to be playing.” [30:33]
      • Director had to intervene: “Guys, this ain’t Taika Waititi.” — Stephen Colbert [30:46]
    • Plays a clip from the film: a tense, ambiguous scene between the two leads that hints at their respective suspicions [31:52].
      • “Mine’s ‘Thomas Crown Affair’—McQueen plays a high class thief.” — Mark Ruffalo [32:29, in character]
    • Ruffalo and Colbert agree the movie is best experienced in theaters; Colbert lightly jokes about going on a date night together.

• Closing Warmth

  • [33:26–33:46]
    • Colbert thanks Ruffalo for being a delightful and recurring guest.
      • “You’ve just been a delight ... I love you, man. I’m going to miss you.” — Mark Ruffalo [33:41]
      • “Love you too. We’re all gonna miss you.” — Stephen Colbert [33:45]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Super Bowl outrage:
  • “Anyone who thinks it’s un-American to have an American perform at the Super Bowl is dumb, right?” — Stephen Colbert [03:19]
• Absurdist satire on right-wing culture war:
  • “Kid Rock is often unclear what venue he’s in.” — Stephen Colbert [07:12]
• On Trump and election conspiracies:
  • “We’ve reached the rigging elections phase of fascism. Johnny, tell them what they’ve won!” — Stephen Colbert [14:43]
• Childhood dreams:
  • “I had great dreams of being a clown ... but you had to have a special extra talent.” — Mark Ruffalo [21:38–21:46]
• Actorly foibles:
  • “I was basically just a sack on the back of a horse.” — Mark Ruffalo [26:08]
• Marvel camaraderie gone astray:
  • “Do you have a Pavlovian response just to slip into these characters ... our director had to tell us to knock it off. It’s not that movie.” — Mark Ruffalo [30:33]
  • “Guys, this ain’t Taika Waititi.” — Stephen Colbert [30:46]
• Closing Gratitude:
  • “I love you, man. I’m going to miss you.” — Mark Ruffalo [33:41]
  • “We’re all gonna miss you.” — Stephen Colbert [33:45]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:29–03:39 – Super Bowl monologue & cultural commentary
• 12:58–19:37 – Political satire: Trump, elections, and Epstein
• 20:11–24:16 – Ruffalo interview: childhood, clowning, unicycles
• 25:45–29:23 – Actor audition stories: horse trouble with Ang Lee
• 29:23–33:40 – New movie “Crime 101,” Marvel reunion, and closing
• 33:40–33:46 – Heartfelt signoff and mutual appreciation

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Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is vintage Colbert: sharply satirical, quick-witted, and welcoming. Ruffalo’s openness about his quirky background and career keeps the exchange endearing and funny. There’s a real sense of connection, both between host and guest and in Colbert’s engagement with his audience’s concerns—from political shenanigans to pop culture absurdity.

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For listeners:
This episode offers a brisk, laughter-filled overview of current cultural and political flashpoints, coupled with a heartfelt and humorous dive into Mark Ruffalo’s journey from small-town clown to Hollywood and beyond. Perfect for fans of smart, topical humor and intimate celebrity storytelling.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Why have I asked my electrician I found on Angie.com to bury my pet hamster? I was so moved by how carefully he buried my electrical wires. I knew I could trust him to bury my sweet nibbles after his untimely end. This is very strange, Angie. The one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home [e-mail]. Welcome everybody to the Late show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. You. There are so many big stories dominating the national conversation right now, but we're going to start off tonight with what I know is the number one reason you all watch the show and that is to hear me talk about sports. This Sunday is the biggest day in men's football. Super Bowl 60. Yes, the Super bowl is 60, which explains why the game is sponsored by day of the week. Pillbox. You know their sponsors. One of these better be for depression. The halftime show for this year's super bowl will be a friend of the show or amigo Adele showtarde. Bad Bunny, who sings almost exclusively in Spanish.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And.

[Stephen Colbert]

Not only that, is expected to perform in Spanish. And now I've been practicing Spanish on my duolingo so I'll understand all his lyrics. As long as the lyrics are the bear and the mouse need an apartment. El Oso. That's all I got. The right wing media has had their panties in a bunch over the Bad Bunny booking for months because Mr. Bunny excluded the continental US from his most recent tour out of fear that Ice could potentially raid the venues. And then on Sunday night, he blasted Ice while accepting an award at the Grammys. Hey, he's just looking out for his fans, y'. All. Also, that's what you want to do. That's all you want to do. Also, Latino artists have always been political. Who can forget that famous Gloria Estefan.

[Commercial Announcer]

Song, come on, shake your body, baby, before Monday.

[Stephen Colbert]

Fantastic. How did he lose? How did he lose? The New York Times even asked some NFL players what they thought about the decision, and one player said, I always think it should be an American. I think they're trying too hard with this international stuff. I agree, I agree. And I bet Bad Bunny agrees too, because he's an American. He is from Puerto Rico, which is part of the United States. Hey, hey, hey, hey Benito. Anyone who thinks it's un American to have an American perform at the super bowl is dumb, right?

[Commercial Announcer]

See.

[Stephen Colbert]

Also See also I just want to point out that in the past they've had many artists who are not Americans, like Canadian Shania Twain, the UK's Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney, as well as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who of course hails from the country called the late 90s, a lawless place where Squirrel Nut zippers and spin doctors roam the land smashing pumpkins with their flaming lips. And many of them did not speak English. People are still trying to decipher what language Eddie Vedder is singing. Squeeegee look a muka Papa Dodo the hero. Can you hear me hurking, please? Hear, hear. Deep kind of sounds like a bagpipe. Hear Hermia spoken. Love you Eddie Vedder. The Times also asked players if they could pick any artist who would be their top choice to play the halftime show, and one player said, florence and the Machine, but I don't know if everybody would rock with that. You speak your truth. Anonymous Burly man, I don't know who this fella is, but give him a bigger, thicker helmet because we have to protect him and his love of witchy power ballads that are perfect for water births. You know football. If you'd rather not watch a bad bunny, there's going to be a competing halftime show featuring a terrible bunny. Because in protest, a conservative group is staging an alternative halftime show starring Kid Rock. According to the press release, the show is called the All American Halftime show in a font that is called T shirt on a Quiet Angry dad at Disney World. As you may have noticed from the poster there, kid's not rocking this one alone. He'll be joined by country singers Brantley Gilbert, Gabby Barrett and Lee Brice. Powerhouse lineup. Also appearing are Gary Lee Grant Gilby Brantlett, Dilly Barrett, Tandy Breitbart, Billy Gidley and Baby Bilbo. Now excited. I'm tuning in. I'm tuning in. I'm flipping the wings. I'm tuning in. I don't want to disappoint anybody, but we've just learned that Billy Gidley cannot make it due to health reasons. But in tribute, Trilly Gilson and Brandi De Gamble will be performing a Billy Giddley medley. Now, if you want to attend this alternate halftime show, you can't because it is unclear what venue we'll host. Which I believe is fitting because Kid Rock is often unclear what venue he's in. But they have announced the event will be available to stream on the actual real platforms tbn, dw, Charge and Rumble. Also, they're negotiating to stream on Crunch, Cramble, Hunkle Krampus and Paramount. His new contributor, Billy Gidley is going to be a contributor on CBS News. Now that's a scoop. That's an idea scoop. But wait, there's more sport. This time international. Because Friday marks the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, there's lots to look forward to. Specifically, Milo and Tina, the first openly Gen Z Olympic mascots. How brave. Before now, it was hard for mascots to tell their parents they were born between 1997 and 20. But of course, when you think of Gen Z Olympians, you think of a pair of scarf wearing stoats or short haired weasels seen here apparently fleeing an alpine crime scene with three baby grandmas. Baby Grandmas, of course, is streaming after the all American halftime show on Hunkle. Baby grandmas? Are they babies? Are they grandmas? Either way, they're wearing diapers. Hunkle with ads now say ads. Right. According to the mascot experts, Tina is a creative, down to earth type. While Milo loves to play practical jokes and invent musical instruments in his spare time. Neat. I think I speak for everyone when I say Milo must be killed. Sorry. Practical jokes and inventing music. No, no. Fun fact. Milo and Tina were selected after Italy's Ministry of Education invited primary and secondary school students to submit ideas for mascots. That's cute. Also explains the runners up, Spaghetti and My Balls, Signore Bisto. And the most popular streaming movie in Italy, K. Popperoni di Mozzarella Hunteritos. Okay, that was hard. Kay Mozzarelli, Mozzarella di Marinos. Okay, we've waited long enough and I think it's time to sink our teeth into what I believe is the most important news story in America. A Chicago snowplow naming contest where finalists include abolish ice, Kevin McPlauster and Stephen Colbert.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Of course, as a guy who lived in Chicago for over a decade, I was very excited when I heard about this. It's an honor just to be nominated for name on Snowplow. I was less excited, however, to learn that on the list of finalists I'm currently number 22. This is an outrage. Look, I don't mind being lower than some of the good plow names on the list, like Buckingham Plownston, Caleb Chilliams, and Chance the Scraper, but I'm currently nine spots below. Live Laugh Plow. Live Laugh Plow. Come on, Chicago. That's not even a pun. It's the name of a throw pillow themed porno. And I'm not gonna take this lying down, even though I love lying down. The list of Snowplow names is a sham. It is a travesty. And. And I'm being told the list is purely alphabetical and my little tantrum was unjustified. Though it did get us closer to the commercial break. My apologies. I'm so sorry. Hey, guys, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to watch. I'm so sorry. My apologies to specifically Chicago. I want to win this. Okay, I still want to win this. So listen up. City residents may view the list of finalists and vote for up to six [e-mail] by Saturday, February 14th. Perfect activity for you and your lover on Valentine's Day. You vote for me then. Live Laugh Plow. By the way, Live Laugh Plow. It might have to be Live Laugh Plow. Oh, by the way, Chicago shovels.org also one of the sites where you can catch the Kid Rock halftime show. We got a great show for you tonight.

[Commercial Announcer]

More late show pod show after this.

[Mark Ruffalo]

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[Stephen Colbert]

What do you have to lose?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, Sal. Hank. What's going on? We haven't worked a case in years. I just bought my car at Carvana and it was so easy. Too easy. Think something's up? You tell me. They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price, and it got delivered the next day.

[Mark Ruffalo]

It sounds like Carvana just makes it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Easy to buy your car, Hank. Yeah, you're right. Case closed.

[Commercial Announcer]

Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may Apply.

[Stephen Colbert]

Welcome back. Give it up for Louis Cato and the band.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Nice, man.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, folks, let's get straight to. Usually the second act of the show is a little less political, a little lighter, but tonight's a little more political, a little lighting democracy on fire. Because yesterday, the President of the United States took time out of his job as trickster God of chaos to phone into the podcast of former deputy FBI director and irritated hemorrhoid. Watching you buy the single ply. Dan Bongingu. Trump laid out his vision for the future by complaining about the past.

[Donald Trump]

Think of it. I won in a landslide. I won every swing state. I won the popular vote by millions. I won everything. We have states that I won. That show. I didn't win. Like the 2020 election. I won that election by so much.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, you so didn't. Saying something, saying something. Saying something over and over on a podcast doesn't make it true. If it did, everyone would have the perfect mattress. No surprise, one of the states that Trump is largely mad at is Minnesota.

[Donald Trump]

Minnesota. If they allowed us to do the job. It's a mess. There's something in the water up there.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's Minnesota. That's not water. It's cream of mushroom soup. This podcast, this podcast appearance right here is not the first place Trump has made false claims about election fraud. But it is the first time he's suggested this terrifying solution.

[Donald Trump]

And I love the state. I won the state three times, but I got no credit for it. I won that state three times, but it's a rigged state. The Republicans should say, we want to take over. We should take over the voting. The voting in at least many 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's right. We've reached the rigging elections phase of fascism. Johnny, tell them what they've won. A dystopian future ruled by a permanent omniscient cadre of AI enhanced tech oligarchs and a dinette set from Broy Hill. Broy Hill. Do it to Julia. Do it to Julia. Back to you, Steve. Trump's new idea to nationalize the 2026 election is rooted in his obsession with the 2020 election that he lost. Last week, Trump sent the FBI to raid Fulton County, Georgia, election offices, seizing voter rolls, related data, and truckloads of 2020 ballots. My God, 2020 is six years ago. They recounted the ballots twice. You lost both times. You are currently president again. Let it go. You can't change the past. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube or the juice back in. Rudy'. Where am I? It gets more insane. Trump is so fixated on 2020 because again, he lost it, that he personally ordered the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard to go to Atlanta for the search where someone snapped this picture of her. Just look at that. Hello?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Hello?

[Stephen Colbert]

Hello. Yes, I'd like to report a strange woman. Yes, and I'd like to order some garlic knots, please. Thank you. Well, magic hair. Well, we just learned that Gabbard was using her cell phone to call Trump. And according to one official, the President addressed the agents on the speakerphone, praising them and thanking them for their work on the inquiry. Like a pep rally. Give me an F. Give me a B. Give me an I. What's that spell? Serious question. Cuz the cognitive. The administration knows. Give me a re. 1. The administration knows Gabbard's involvement looks bad, so they sent Deputy Attorney General and former Trump lawyer Todd Blanche onto the Fox News to try to explain it. Did you ever find out why she was at the. And I, you know, everyone knows I love Tulsi Gabbard, but why was she at that? I love her particular raid. No, I mean, first of all, she wasn't at the. At the search. She was in the area where the search took place. Wow, babe, I didn't cheat on you. My genitals were just in the same area where the sex took place. And how could you even tell that was my penis? I put a baseball cap on it. We're all still picking our jaws up off the floor after the latest batch of Epstein files over the weekend. The guy apparently ran into every prominent American of the last decade. He's like the Forrest Gump of sex crimes, in that the name Forrest Gump appears in the files three times. Run, Forrest, run. You too, Jenna. New disturbing finds are floating to the surface every day, like this email from Epstein to Katie Couric where she thanked him for inviting her to a dinner, saying the lasagna was rockin'. Note, they say if this lasagna's rockin', call the police. Despite the many, many, many, many, many, many horrible allegations that we will never be able to scrub from our brains. While he was on the Fox News yesterday, Blanche said the DOJ does not plan to bring any charges. Is there any chance that any of these individuals who partied with Epstein and engaged in, you know, relations with minors will be prosecuted? Any chance? I'll never say no. And we will always investigate any evidence of misconduct, but as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. The American people need to understand that it isn't a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. Yeah, American people. Loosen up. It's not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. Just like it's not a crime to hold a potluck with Jeffrey Dahmer. I mean, you gotta admit, his lasagna was rockin'. We'll be right back with Mark Ruffalo.

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[Stephen Colbert]

We heard you.

[Donald Trump]

Nine years of bring back the snack.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wrap and you've won. But maybe you should have asked for more. Say hello to the hot honey snack wrap. Now you've really won. Good McDonald's. And get it while you can. Thanks very much. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. You know, my first guest tonight from Spotlight, poor things, Foxcatcher, and the Marvel series of instructional videos. Please welcome back to the late show, Mark Ruffalo. Good to see you. Ah, won't you please. Won't you please, please.

[Mark Ruffalo]

We may never pass this way again.

[Stephen Colbert]

We may never not. Listen, it's good to see you. Always love to see you on stage or off stage with a great admirer of you. Not just for your work, but for your advocacy. I see you got the ice out pit.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

There. Now, now I want to get into that in just a second. I learned something about you today. Before you were the big shot Hollywood movie star is that you were a little boy growing up in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

[Mark Ruffalo]

K town. K town. Okay, Kenosha.

[Stephen Colbert]

And what was a. What was occupying the time of young Mark Ruffalo in quiet little Kenosha?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Well, I had great dreams of being a clown.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you work at it? Did you like, just dream of it or did you, like, work on your own?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I worked at it. I figured it wasn't enough just to be a clown anymore, but you had to have a special extra talent.

[Stephen Colbert]

What was your thing?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Unicycle.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. It's a class kind of a Classic. The unicycle.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Were you good at unicycling?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I got very good at unicycling. I could unicycle forward. I could unicycle backward. I could unicycle tall. I could unicycle short.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I could unicycle invisible.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Careful, careful, careful.

[Stephen Colbert]

Can you still unicycle?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I can.

[Stephen Colbert]

Has it been called for in a film that you've done?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Not yet.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Wow. I can do the double unicycle.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And then I used to.

[Stephen Colbert]

I could ride two unicycles at once.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Shut up.

[Stephen Colbert]

No. Yeah. Welded in the center with a little seat right there.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And I have twice as hard.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's twice as hard as it is. Yeah.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I have a double unicycle. It's called a bicycle.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, okay. Yeah, I've heard it called that. What did you do with this skill?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Well, I didn't know how to break into it, really.

[Stephen Colbert]

Into the clown biz?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah. No one was asking me to do anything with it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Kenosha was not being scouted by Ringling? No.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And I was a sad clown. No one likes a sad clown. I had a nose, but I had a little turn down. You know, the sad clown.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure.

[Mark Ruffalo]

But me and my friend Steven Kautzer, who I hope's out there somewhere, we would.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is Steven here tonight? No, he's not here tonight.

[Mark Ruffalo]

We would stand on the side of the parade and the parade. The only parade.

[Stephen Colbert]

Fourth of July.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Fourth of July parade. And we would. It was called Crazy Days.

[Stephen Colbert]

Woo. Okay.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And he and I would sneak into the parade and totally be clown interlopers.

[Stephen Colbert]

Uninvited clown.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Uninvited clown interlopers. And work our way through the flow. And then before we got to the end, sneak away so we didn't get arrested for trespassing.

[Stephen Colbert]

They take you back to the precinct and beat you with a rubber chicken. Wow. So that's bold.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That's where it all started.

[Stephen Colbert]

I really admire that.

[Mark Ruffalo]

You do? Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, it's sort of anarchic clown.

[Mark Ruffalo]

It was. It was punk clown. Yeah, it was. It was. Yeah, it was. It was really resistance clown.

[Stephen Colbert]

What did you do when you weren't clowning? Was it all clown all the time?

[Mark Ruffalo]

No, I. There was a big portion of the time was clowning and then I like to. We lived next to a forest, so I spent a lot of my time playing in this forest. I wanted to be a forest ranger. That's really what I wanted to do, but.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you would go into the forest?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah, and I would Just we climb trees and we would had tree swings. And in those forests, you have these giant sort of wild grapevines, and we would just swing on these vines. I know.

[Stephen Colbert]

Let me ask you something. Let me ask you something.

[Mark Ruffalo]

People, they don't know what this is anymore. There's kids, a whole generation of kids that haven't been in the forest.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Did you go into the forest dressed as a clown? Because that would be terrifying to run into, and that would suggest kids not go in there.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I might have done that once or twice, Steven.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, luckily for those of us who love your work, you eventually moved on from clowning to cinema. Actors lie often in early auditions. I lied constantly in early auditions. I'm curious. I actually know. I'm not even curious. I know that you got caught, and I'm curious whether you would share your story of how you got caught by Ang Lee.

[Mark Ruffalo]

So at the audition, they asked, can you ride a horse? And I was like, of course I could ride a horse.

[Stephen Colbert]

And had you ever. Did you ride a horse?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Well, I rode a horse that was following another horse who was following another horse who was following another horse.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you would be a sacral on the back of a horse?

[Mark Ruffalo]

I was basically just a sack on the back of a horse.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Yeah.

[Mark Ruffalo]

A sad sack.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And so they said, well, have you ridden horses? I was like, yeah, that wasn't lying. I'd ridden horses, sure. But you know how to ride a horse? Yes. Because we really need someone who can ride a horse. I can ride a horse. How many times do I have to say it to you? And so I get a call and they're like, you got the part? And I was thinking, okay, the first thing I would do when I get there is I'm just gonna brush up on my horse riding.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right. Like you do.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I'll go to the horse wrangler and I'll say, listen, man, I don't know how to ride a horse. Do you think you could teach me real quick? Really quick? Yeah, just give me the basics.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which end is the front?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yes. And he was like, oh, man. Oh, man. You can't learn to ride a horse in half an hour. And I was like, try me. So I thought I knew what I was doing, but the scene was, I'm supposed to get up, jump on the horse, kick the horse and take off. I got up, jumped on the horse, kicked the horse. The horse took off. Into the woods in the wrong direction.

[Stephen Colbert]

With you on his back up the mountain?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yes, with me, yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And the horse wranglers all came running in on their horses and the horse was trying to kill me. It was running up against every tree.

[Stephen Colbert]

To scrape you off.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yes, to try to scrape me off. And for some reason, I got stop and go mixed up. I was nervous, man.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And so I was like, stop, stop, stop.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you were kicking the horse and yelling stop.

[Commercial Announcer]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

I don't know a lot about horse ownership, but I think we see the problem. Yeah.

[Mark Ruffalo]

And finally they caught up to me. I mean, hundreds of yards, they jump off the horse. They jump off their horses. They grab my horse. They basically pull it to the ground. And then I have the shameful 300 yard walk.

[Stephen Colbert]

To Ang Lee.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Back to Ang Lee, who's just sitting there like this. And I said, should we do it again?

[Stephen Colbert]

Beautiful. Beautiful. Okay, you got a new movie coming out called Crime 101.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Tell the folks what it's about.

[Mark Ruffalo]

It's about a jewelry thief who uses the 101 freeway as his corridor of heist in LA. In LA takes place in LA 101 freeway. And it's a real cat and mouse kind of mano a mano. But we have Halle Berry between us, who's just one of the great goddesses.

[Stephen Colbert]

And you also, you reunite with Chris Hemsworth in this. Your old buddy from Hulk and Thor. Is it?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Wait, that's me.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, we know. We can see. Yeah, yeah. That guy can ride a horse.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That guy can ride a horse.

[Stephen Colbert]

A horse could. A horse could ride a horse whisperer. So do you have a Pavlovian response just to slip into these characters when the two of you are together?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yes. And it's not the characters we're supposed to be playing. And our director had to tell us to knock it off. It's not that movie.

[Stephen Colbert]

Guys, this ain't Taika Waititi.

[Mark Ruffalo]

This is not Taika Waititi.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, we have a clip right here. It's you and Chris. What's happening here? What do we need?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Okay, so we're finally meeting up. I've been on his tail the whole time. And we meet up in this car and neither of us knows who the other is.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you know the other is the person you're searching for?

[Mark Ruffalo]

No.

[Stephen Colbert]

No. Okay.

[Mark Ruffalo]

It's a chance meeting and we're both very on edge because at any moment this thing could go sideways. We know that we're close to each other, but we don't realize how close we are in this scene. And there is a kind of. We're sort of sniffing each other out through the scene. Thinking we may be the ones we're afraid of coming across, but not entirely sure.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yvonne.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I was a kid, I dreamt about having a mustang.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like Steve McQueen. Yeah.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah, Steve McQueen. It's funny, a guy your age wouldn't normally know who Steve McQueen is. I grew up watching those movies. What's your favorite?

[Stephen Colbert]

I'd say Bullet. You know, the Chases?

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah. Mine's Thomas Crown Affair. The queen plays a high class thief.

[Stephen Colbert]

First time I saw that, I didn't realize you guys didn't know each other. That's great.

[Mark Ruffalo]

That's right.

[Donald Trump]

Yeah.

[Mark Ruffalo]

It works, right?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, it does. It does.

[Mark Ruffalo]

You gotta see it in a theater.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, 100%.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I know everyone says that, but this one, really, you have to see it in a theater.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm a huge fan of seeing movies in theater on the big silver. As Jack Nicholson would say, it's gotta be on the big silver.

[Mark Ruffalo]

I agree.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Mark Ruffalo]

We have our date night. Like, there's a theater three blocks from our house, and we go to the movie theaters all the time.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, you and your wife.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

I thought you were talking about you and me. We have our date night. Cause I'm like, hey, man, I do that. Valentine's coming up. Valentine's coming up. Live laugh, plow.

[Mark Ruffalo]

You're gonna have some time on your hands soon. Live, laugh, plow.

[Stephen Colbert]

Live laughter, plow. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Words to live by.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Mark. Mark Ruffalo. Mark Ruffalo, it's so delightful to have you here. I'm so nice to talk to you again before the show ends. You've just been a delight to the few chances. I've got to talk to you over here. The old show and this show.

[Mark Ruffalo]

Yeah, here.

[Stephen Colbert]

Thanks so much for being here, man.

[Mark Ruffalo]

No, thanks for having me. I love you, man. I'm gonna miss you. Love you, too. We're all gonna miss you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Thanks, Mark. Thank you. Thank you for listening to the Late Show POD show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more, subscribe to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Mark Ruffalo]

I swear, if I'm lying, I'm dying. This is the mindset.

[Stephen Colbert]

Free.

[Mark Ruffalo]

This is the mantra.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Mark Ruffalo]

Huzzah.

[Commercial Announcer]

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