Mark Ruffalo

On November 22, 1967, in the town of Kinosh in the American state of Wisconsin, Mark Ruffalo was born. He is one of four children of a barber and an artist. Mark spent his childhood first in Wisconsin, then in Virginia Beach and finally in San Diego.

After graduating high school, Mark went to study at the Stella Adler Conservatory in Los Angeles. After completing his education, he became a theater actor - and a very good one, he was flattered critics. However, this did not bring him financial prosperity, so until almost the beginning of 2000 Ruffalo had to work as a bartender to make ends meet. Well, in the early 2000s, he not only came to theatrical success, but also film.

He starred before that, but in small roles - for example, in the series "Strictly to the South" and the films "Gift of Heaven", "Bearcatchers," "Studio 54", "Chasing the Devil" and others.

In 2000, the same came out with the comedy "Madly Faithful Wife", and after it - the drama "You can count on me," where Mark got one of the leading roles. This role, by the way, he "gave" the theater - he met with the director and screenwriter of tape Kenneth Lonerganom while working on his play. The film finally brought Mark fame (by the way, Ruffalo himself claims that he attended at least 800 auditions before he came to success), he began to be offered more roles.

Mark was to star in the film "Signs", but he had to withdraw due to serious illness (the role eventually went to Joaquin Phoenix, with whom Ruffalo later starred in the thriller "Forbidden Road"): he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Fortunately, the surgery was successful, the tumor was removed, and soon the actor was able to return to work.

Filming of "You Can Count on Me"

"Forbidden Road."

In 2003, Mark starred in the comedy "A Better View From Above," then - in the drama thriller "The Dark Side of Passion.

2004 brought Ruffalo more successful projects - the films "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "From 13 to 30," "Accomplice" and "We Don't Live Here Anymore.

"The Dark Side of Passion."

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

"From 13 to 30."

"We Don't Live Here Anymore."

In 2006, Ruffalo got a role in the movie "All the King's Men. The composition of the tape was truly stellar: it starred Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and other famous actors. He also appeared in the lead male role in the romantic film "Between Heaven and Earth," based on the novel by Mark Levy, with Reese Witherspoon as his partner on the set.

"All the King's Men."

"Between Heaven and Earth."

In 2007, Ruffalo also played David Fincher in Zodiac. In 2008, Ruffalo took part in a very different projects - the acclaimed drama thriller "Blindness," the comedy "The Bloom Brothers" and the crime drama "What Doesn't Kill You.

"Zodiac."

"Blindness."

"The Bloom Brothers."

"What Doesn't Kill You."

In general, 2008 was extremely difficult for the actor - at the beginning of the year his good friend Heath Ledger died, and later shot his brother Mark. However, Ruffalo bravely survived the tragedy and continued to work. And very successfully - in 2009, he began acting in the Martin Scorsese film "Isle of Damned". And in 2010 he was nominated for the grand prize at the Sundance Independent Film Festival - for his role in the film "Sympathy for Tasty.

"Isle of Damned."

In 2010, two more films starring Mark were released (in addition to "Damn Island") - "The Kids Are Alright" and "Crazy Date."

"The Kids Are Alright."

Ruffalo has at least four projects in the pipeline, including his "screen father" Keneth Lonergan's drama "Margaret." She starts in theaters in 2011.

On his birthday we wish Mark more projects and, of course, happiness to him and his family. Mark, by the way, is married to actress Sunrise Cogni and they are raising three children.

Sunrise and Mark