While Mark Ruffalo is now a bonafide veteran in Hollywood, there was a time when he struggled to gain fame as an actor. Ruffalo’s journey into acting began unexpectedly during his twelfth-grade year when he walked through the theatre department at his Virginia Beach high school.
His family had relocated from Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was enrolled in a Catholic school. Dealing with undiagnosed dyslexia, his classmates used to laugh at him as he struggled to read aloud.
Ruffalo began pursuing acting at 19 but couldn’t make ends meet until he was 27. The Hollywood star went to many auditions but kept getting turned down.
He survived on apples and loaves of bread, riding a $200 Honda motorbike through all sorts of weather conditions to make it to auditions. It wasn’t easy for him, but he had a guardian angel who sent him $20 every week while he was trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood.
Weekly $20 Lifesaver Saved Struggling Actor Mark Ruffalo
During a chat with On the Red Carpet, Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone shared a touching moment. There it was revealed that Ruffalo’s grandma used to sent him $20 a week, with a note that said, “Don’t give up, I believe in you.”
To this, Ruffalo’s Poor Things co-star gushed, “Oh, my God.” She continued saying, “What are you nuts? Who wouldn’t believe in Mark?”
The Oscar-winning actress then looked at the 56-year-old actor and said, “I mean, I completely understand what your grandmother was saying and doing!” Who wouldn’t believe in you? [shakes hand with Ruffalo].”
The caption of the video that posted the moment on Instagram reads, “@markruffalo has two of the most adamant supporters, #EmmaStone and his grandmother. It’s no wonder he’s nominated for best supporting actor for @poorthingsfilm!” And indeed, there’s no doubt about it. Ruffalo and Stone’s friendship was evident throughout the event.
Mark Ruffalo’s Hollywood Struggles Pay Off with Success
Mark Ruffalo went through a lot of auditions, most of which didn’t go anywhere. Each rejection hurt more than the last, making him question what he was doing with his life. He went to about 600 auditions without getting a single role, with casting directors saying “No” every time.
After all those auditions, the Wisconsin native finally got his big break. He starred alongside Laura Linney in the film You Can Count on Me (2000). That’s when things started to change for him.
Following his work on the film The Last Castle, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma, a type of benign brain tumor, also called an acoustic neuroma. Surgery to remove the tumor caused partial facial paralysis, which affected his hearing.
Soon the Marvel actor landed roles in movies like Shutter Island, Zodiac, and the Avengers franchise. He also received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Kids are All Right (2010).
