Picture this scene: Mark Ruffalo, the actor famous for playing Bruce Banner / Hulk, engaged in a fight with Channing Tatum, who is best known for his role as a charming stripper in Magic Mike. Well, they did get into a physical brawl while filming a 2014 biographical psychological sports film, which featured several memories that the Marvel star recently discussed in detail.
When Ruffalo made an appearance on Hot Ones prior to the release of his latest flick, Poor Things, he was questioned about the incident in which he injured Tatum’s eardrum while filming Foxcatcher. He confirmed that Tatum had indeed instructed him to “slap the s*it out of” him in a comedic manner.
And, interestingly, the Marvel star found it easy to do so because Tatum had bullied Ruffalo due to his weight advantage during their “four months” of wrestling training for Foxcatcher.
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Why Was it ‘Easy’ for Mark Ruffalo to ‘Slap’ His Foxcatcher Co-Star?
Mark Ruffalo, 56, recounted the incident in which he accidentally broke Channing Tatum’s eardrum during the filming of Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher. During his recent appearance on Hot Ones, the actor informed host Sean Evans that the Magic Mike star
“Did ask me to slap the s*it out of him.”
However, it was “easy” for Ruffalo to slap Tatum because the latter had bullied him “so many times” during their “four months” of wrestling training for the film. The Poor Things star added:
“And it was easy to do because he’d beaten the s*it out of me so many times. It was like four months of learning how to wrestle.”
Ruffalo further teasingly added, though, that Tatum’s substantial size advantage during their months of training made his slapping task easier. The former recalled:
“He like has 30 pounds on me, so when it came time to smack the s*it out of him, I was like, ‘Came from Alabama’.”
The film, which was directed by Bennett Miller, starred Tatum and Ruffalo as brothers. Along with five Oscar nominations, Foxcatcher’s visual style, tone, and Miller’s directing were praised.
The 54 Actor also Discussed his Time as Joaquin Phoenix’s Roommate
In his Hot Ones interview with host Sean Evans, Mark Ruffalo also discussed his relationship with his former roommate, Joaquin Phoenix, which they shared while filming Reservation Road in 2007. Ruffalo referred to him as a “great cook”, saying he
“Turned me on to vegan cuisine and so he would cook all the time and he was a great roommate. He was a roommate who would be out and you’d get a text [saying] ‘you need anything? Need me to pick up anything?’”
Ruffalo and Phoenix starred in Reservation Road as fathers Dwight and Ethan, which narrates the tale of the aftermath of a fatal car accident. The Now You See Me 2 star spoke about his time spent residing with Phoenix, adding:
“He was super thoughtful and he offered me to stay there. I was supposed to stay somewhere else and he was like, ‘Hey, man, why don’t you stay here? I have like three bedrooms’.”
Last week, when Ruffalo attended the New York City premiere of his latest movie, Poor Things, he gave his co-star Emma Stone high marks, telling PEOPLE that she is
“A once in a generation talent. She’s just so game. I mean, this is probably one of the most daring female performances in decades, in a sense. It’s just the kind of fearlessness that she has and a presence, and I mean presence with you as an actor.”
The 141-minute film is based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel of the same name, which was released on December 8, 2023. Poor Things, helmed by Yorgos Lanthimos, also stars Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael in prominent roles.
Poor Things is now in theaters.
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