Mark Ruffalo
An actor whose everyman authenticity and quiet intensity have made him a beloved and politically outspoken Hollywood fixture.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actor·Birthday: November 22·Generation X
Biography
Mark Ruffalo's path to stardom was anything but linear, marked by years of stage work and indie films where he honed a uniquely vulnerable, naturalistic style. His breakthrough came not with a blockbuster, but with the intimate family drama 'You Can Count on Me,' where his raw performance announced a major new talent. Ruffalo defied easy categorization, moving seamlessly between romantic leads, dark thrillers like 'Zodiac,' and a Tony-nominated Broadway turn. His casting as Bruce Banner, the cerebral and tormented Hulk, redefined the superhero, injecting a soulful anxiety into the Marvel universe. Off-screen, he channels that same thoughtful passion into environmental and progressive activism, making his public persona as substantive as his roles.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mark was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Mark's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received three Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in 'The Kids Are All Right,' 'Foxcatcher,' and 'Spotlight.'
- Reinvented the Bruce Banner/Hulk character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bringing a new depth and vulnerability to the role.
- Earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the Broadway revival of 'Awake and Sing!' in 2006.
Did You Know?
He worked as a bartender for nearly a decade while auditioning and performing in theater in Los Angeles.
He is a dedicated environmental activist and co-founded The Solutions Project, which advocates for 100% renewable energy.
He survived a diagnosis of a brain tumor in 2001, which left him with temporary partial facial paralysis.
“The most radical thing you can do is to stay open and hopeful in a world that gives you so many reasons to give up.”
