Ruffalo, Mark (1967- )

US actor. His breakthrough role was in the critically-acclaimed independent film You Can Count on Me (2000). Other films include The Last Castle (2001), Windtalkers (2001), In the Cut (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), 13 Going on 30, and Collateral (2004).

He was critically acclaimed for his performance in the off-Broadway production of the play This is Our Youth, written by US playwright Kenneth Lonergan, in New York City. Lonergan then recruited Ruffalo for the role of the irresponsible and reckless but loving brother Terry in You Can Count on Me, Lonergan's first screenplay. Ruffalo won the Montreal Film Festival's best actor award and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for the role. Other indie films include A Gift from Heaven (1994), The Last Big Thing (1996), Safe Men (1998), Life/Drawing (1999), XX/XY (2003), and My Life Without Me (2003). He also co-starred in and wrote the screenplay for the film The Destiny of Marty Fine (1996), first runner up at the 1995 Slamdance Film Festival.

He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and moved to Los Angeles, California, at the age of 18 to study acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory. He appeared on stage in more than 30 plays before achieving silver screen success.