According to the magazine, it compromised his profession as an actor, as it put his facial and auditory nerves. Mark had a CAT scan after which he received the devastating diagnosis of that he had acoustic neuroma, a form of brain cancer. It's a long-running, low-grade depression all the time," he said. He's enjoying the heights right now, but, before playing Bruce Banner/the Hulk in Hollywood's biggest franchise, he had to first experience the lowest of lows, going through things that most of us would struggle to overcome. You get calloused, a little bit harder maybe, so be on guard for that. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); Around 2000, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a brain tumor known as an acoustic neuroma. But did you know that a health threat in the early 2000s almost ruined it all for him? The Mayo Clinic explains: Acoustic neuroma is a noncancerous and usually slow-growing tumour that develops on the main nerve leading from your inner ear to your brain. "You always wonder, 'What could I have done differently?'" The paralysis subsided after a year, but Mark remains deaf in his left ear. It was a rough journey with prescribed steroids slowing down his recovery. } else { Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get According to the NHS, the other symptoms of an large acoustic neuroma may be: As well as brain surgery, the other treatment options include monitoring the tumour if it is small. Mark decided to keep the devastating news to himself as his wife was expecting their first child at the time. 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"Every news organization in the country ran it without bothering to check if it was true," he said. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. [55] The case remains unsolved. [4][5], Ruffalo attended both Catholic and progressive schools throughout his education. Now at 53, his popularity has increased even more due to his role as Bruce Banner aka Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Rated 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the project drew attention to the actor despite working opposite other established actors like Matthew Broderick and Laura Linney. He says having a tumor was a "gift" that made him love acting more. Large tumours may lead to a complication called hydrocephalus. The star had to undergo surgery just four weeks after his diagnosis to remove the tumour, which he was terrified about. The actor revealed that "recovery really tested what [he] was made of as a man." From the Hulk to HBO, Mark Ruffalo Re-Assembles as a Producer - Variety Grade school was always difficult for him in an interview with Parade, Ruffalo said, "I was miserable. Ruffalo cited VoteRiders as a source of assistance for voter ID requirements across the United States .[71][72]. Ruffalo had a difficult time accepting the fact that he was unable to work. Nick Fury actor Samuel Jackson called him a "cuddly little bear" and revealed that "everyone loves hugging on Mark" on the set of the Marvel movies, but, believe it or not, he was once a very angry young man. How Mark Ruffalo Discovered He Had a Brain Tumor Best Life When speaking with the Telegraph, Ruffalo said that after six months of paralysis, the chances of regaining motor control over his whole face would be remote. He was rushed to hospital and managed to hang onto life for a week, but, when it became clear that he wasn't going to recover, his life support was switched off, devastating his family. My work started to change, my luck started to change. According to a toxicology report obtained by Access Hollywood (via People), the 40-year-old had Valium, morphine, codeine and marijuana in his system when he passed, but the actual cause of death was complications arising from an enlarged heart, the coroner confirmed. Make it count. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { He moved with his family to San Diego, California and later to Los Angeles, where he took classes at the Stella Adler Conservatory and co-founded the Orpheus Theatre Company. Mark Ruffalo Biography | Movies, Net Worth, Height, Wife - WikiBlog We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. According to Ruffalo, he gained 40 pounds following his operation. Loss of hearing in his left ear and one side of his face becoming completely paralysed still affects him today. Mark Ruffalo Plays Twins in 'I Know This Much Is True' - AARP . [56], Ruffalo and his family live in Sullivan County, New York, describing the Catskill Mountains as his "home". Ruffalo's big break came at the turn of the millennium when he was cast in the critically acclaimed drama You Can Count on Me, the success of which led to a role alongside the legendary Robert Redford in 2001's The Last Castle. Mark Ruffalo ( Full name: Mark Alan Ruffalo ) is a 55-year-old American actor and producer. Unfortunately, Frank was only able to find temporary employment, and the family's financial situation spiraled into bankruptcy. He also spent close to a decade working as a bartender. Ruffalo's professional life seems to have run smoothly all these years. In December 2008, Ruffalo's younger brother and former roommate Scott was murdered. He told her about the tumor a few weeks after their son Keen, who is now in his early twenties, was born. Ruffalo gained nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a sperm-donor in the comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right (2010), Dave Schultz in the biopic Foxcatcher (2014), and Michael Rezendes in the drama Spotlight (2015). He begged God not to take away the one thing that he used to support his family, but, at that stage, it looked as though his face might never recover, essentially bringing his career as an actor to an end just as it was really getting started. I had become friendly with the set doctor on that movie who was on the board of the local hospital," the Spotlight star told the Acoustic Neuroma Association (ANA) in 2013. [60], Ruffalo was interviewed by "We Are Change" at an anti-war rally in 2007. Next: Mark Ruffalo Almost Passed On His Iconic '13 Going On 30' Role. He started acting in the early 1990s. For his work on stage, Ruffalo has been once nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in a 2006 production of the dramatic play Awake and Sing!. Ruffalo, 34 at the time, was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma in 2001, a benign brain tumour that slowly grows on the nerve used for hearing and balance. Lauren Gray is a New York-based writer, editor, and consultant. From his role as Inspector David Toschi inZodiacto the Incredible Hulk inThe Avengers, Mark Ruffalo has made an acting career for himself filled with success and recognition. It's like a low-grade depression that just is running all the time in the background.". Diabetes: Two red fruits shown to supercharge insulin sensitivity and slash blood sugar, Statins side effects: The toilet sign indicating liver damage - contact a GP 'immediately', Dawn French health: 'I'm in hell' - star on her 'awful' condition that flares up on stage, Dementia: The surprising food shown to have 'adverse effects on cognition' in older adults, Max Verstappen health: F1 star's eyesight went 'completely blank', Bjrn Ulvaeus health: ABBA star, 76, on 'extreme' memory loss, Eamonn Holmes: Star's ice therapy to help 'dominant' issue, Numbness or weakness on one side of the face. In 2010, Ruffalo helped to promote the film Gasland, a documentary exploring the negative effects of fracking. "But there's also the healthier part that says, 'You integrate it, and you get on.' Still, Ruffalo was unable to completely cut himself off from the Hollywood lifestyle. Atsushi Nishijima/HBO. Surgeons informed him that there was an 80 percent chance he would lose his hearing, and a 20 percent chance his facial nerves would be permanently damaged. The "Crazy" Way Mark Ruffalo Discovered He Had a Brain Tumor - Yahoo! if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Not so lucky for the gangbanger, however the cop pulled his own gun and shot him dead on the spot. And I thought, 'yep.' The actor told the music mag that despite "all the crazy s*** going on in the world," practicing meditation gave him an "enormous amount of hope" that everything was going to be okay. Mark became extremely concerned with his life due to the eery dream and decided to consult a doctor. He won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a TV Movie for playing a gay writer and activist in the television drama film The Normal Heart (2015), and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his dual role as identical twins in the miniseries I Know This Much Is True (2020). RELATED: Fans Can't Stop Talking About Tom Holland's Face In Mark Ruffalo's MCU Picture. "You should have seen me in my 20s, man," he told the New York Daily News. I had never seen a human being change that much." The next year in 2015, he starred as a father of two with bipolar disorder in the independent comedy film Infinitely Polar Bear, for which he earned a Golden Globe Award nomination, and he also appeared as journalist Michael Rezendes in the drama film Spotlight, for which he earned his third Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA Award nomination. He was raised alongside two sisters and a brother by working-class parents of Italian and French-Canadian descent. [17] He reprised the role again in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[18] Thor: Ragnarok (2017),[19] Avengers: Infinity War (2018),[20][21] and Avengers: Endgame (2019). After filming the 2001 action drama The Last Castle starring Robert Redford, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma or acoustic neuroma. Cookies help us deliver our Services. During his break from acting, some speculated about the reasons for his sudden disappearance. Actor Mark Ruffalo, known for his role as Bruce Banner / Hulk, had a brain tumor in 2001. Scofield and Adham (who died of a suspected overdose in 2012) were later released and the coroner's report overruled. He finally got the break he needed and was cast in a variety of films that made him become a recognised face. Inspired, he signed on for the role of Paul, a man who is contacted by two children born to a lesbian couple who used his donated sperm. If this is it, if I have a piano dropped on me tomorrow, then I would go down thinking, "You know what, I did okay as far as my career goes, because that's a gift. His full name is Mark Alan Ruffalo He was born on November 22, 1967 He is an American actor, producer, and political activist He made his screen debut in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse (1989) Followed by minor film roles He was part of the original cast of This Is Our Youth (1996) If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing [49][50], After completing work on the film The Last Castle, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma, a type of brain tumor also known as an acoustic neuroma. "Branches of this nerve directly influence your balance and hearing, and pressure from an acoustic neuroma can cause hearing loss, ringing in your ear and unsteadiness. in 2006. As he told the Telegraph, Ruffalo took the role as an homage to his brother. And, technically, he did. Prior to 9/11, he moved to upstate New York to get away from the spotlight and focus on recuperating. "He'd make a f***ing giant bowl of tuna pasta, and we'd eat off that all week long," Ruffalo recalled. He grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, alongside his brother and two sisters. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=c3d09bf3-c7f4-4d9e-b840-f9ca05ece3ca&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=6558139838960232115'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); READ MORE: Vitamin D deficiency symptoms: Feeling this sensation in your joints could be a sign. [36], In March 2016, Ruffalo narrated and produced Dear President Obama: The Clean Energy Revolution Is Now, a documentary by director Jon Bowermaster which looks at President Barack Obama's environmental tenure and legacy concerning the massive expansion of oil and natural gas drilling. [7], Ruffalo spent his teen years in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where his father worked. The paralysis eased up after a year but to his day, he's still deaf in his left ear.