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Early childhood - Mark Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967, and spent his early childhood in Wisconsin with his parents, brother, and two sisters.

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Italian heritage - His extended family were Italian Catholics. His grandfather was the son of Italian immigrants and used to smuggle sugar across the Canadian border for bootleggers during Prohibition.

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Role of religion -

Later on, his grandmother became a born-again Christian, and his father joined the free-thinking religion of the Baha’i.

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His first performance -

Ruffalo says his first acting role came unexpectedly at the Evangelical mega-church his grandmother used to take him to. Everyone was speaking in tongues and channeling the holy spirit, but when the pastor put his hand on Ruffalo’s head he didn’t feel anything.

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His first performance -

He was convinced this meant God didn’t want him and he was going to hell. He eventually just did what the other kids had done and took a dive!

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Financial difficulties -

His family had to move multiple times when his father’s businesses went under, often leaving them with financial struggles.

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Financial difficulties -

At the time Ruffalo graduated from high school, his family were bankrupt and living in a neighborhood where serious drug use was common.

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Struggling academically -

During this time, he was also struggling with his mental health and feeling like an outsider at school. He was a C student but excelled at wrestling and drama.

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Undiagnosed learning disorders -

In retrospect, Ruffalo believes that his undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia contributed to his difficulties in school.

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Hiding his dream -

Ruffalo has also opened up about his lifelong experiences with depression. When he was graduating from school he knew he wanted to be an actor, but was embarrassed about it and hid his dream from friends and family.

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Without a paddle -

He applied to several colleges but didn’t get in anywhere. His friends were talking about their futures, but he was just wandering around smoking and surfing aimlessly. At that time, he was "just about ready to jump off a bridge."

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Stella Adler Studio of Acting -

His family later moved to California and he began taking acting classes at the prestigious Stella Adler Studio of Acting while working odd jobs.

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A true friend -

He gained an extremely close friend there called Michael. Speaking of their friendship, Ruffalo said: "He was the only one I knew as sad as me who I could talk to."

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Losing Michael -

Sadly, Michael took his own life in 1994. This was a huge wake-up call for Ruffalo. He realized that death was not the answer and began to see the value of his own life.

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‘This Is Our Youth' -

Ruffalo began to work in theater and indie movies, such as ‘A Gift from Heaven.’ He also scored a role in an off-Broadway play by Kenneth Lonergan called ‘This Is Our Youth.’

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‘You Can Count on Me' -

He won acting awards for his performance and convinced Lonergan to let him audition for a role in his movie ‘You Can Count on Me,’ which came out in 2000.

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Oscar nomination -

Ruffalo got the part and the movie was a huge critical success. He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor that year.

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Happy families -

It was all looking up for Ruffalo that year as he married his long-time girlfriend Sunrise Coigney. Within a year they were expecting their first child.

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Acoustic neuroma - Unfortunately, his rise to fame was temporarily side-tracked in 2001 when he was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, a benign brain tumor that develops on the nerves that affect balance and hearing.

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Premonition - Ruffalo says that he went to get checked out after having a dream that he had a brain tumor. His intuition was correct and he had surgery shortly after the birth of his son, Keen.

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Long recovery - After the surgery, half of his face was paralyzed, he lost the hearing in his left ear, and he experienced difficulties with balance. It took him a full year to recover and begin working again.

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‘Just Like Heaven’ -

Once he had recovered he spent much of the early 2000s continuing in his trademark indie roles, but also began to play scruffy, loveable, romantic leads in rom-coms like ‘View from the Top’ and ‘Just Like Heaven.’

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‘We Don't Live Here Anymore’ -

In 2004, he produced and starred in the critically-acclaimed ‘We Don't Live Here Anymore,’ which won a screenwriting award at the Sundance Film Festival.

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‘Shutter Island’ -

He later starred in successful thrillers like ‘Zodiac’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Family tragedy -

Tragedy struck Ruffalo and his family in 2008 when his 39-year-old brother was shot in the head at his home. The circumstances were suspicious but the case was never solved.

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Loss of his brother -

Ruffalo and his brother had been close, living together for years while they were both struggling in Los Angeles. He took a hiatus from acting while dealing with his grief.

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The Hulk -

He returned in full form and won the role of the Hulk in the 'Avengers' movie franchise.

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Success and authenticity -

Ruffalo has firmly planted himself on the A-list while maintaining his artistic integrity and dedication to the indie genre. As celebrities go, he’s one of the more down to earth and socially aware public figures.

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Activism -

He played a significant role in the successful campaign against fracking in New York. But although active in the liberal political community, he says he has no plans to run for office.

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Activism -

As well as campaigning for the Democrats and his environmental activism, he has opened up about his struggles with mental health. He's particularly involved with organizations that help young people deal with learning and mental health difficulties.

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Family -

Today, Ruffalo has three teenage children with his wife Sunrise. His prolific career continues, and he's only getting better with age! 

Sources: (Looper) (Hollywood Reporter) (Rolling Stone) (Medium) 

See also: Celebrities' secrets to long-lasting relationships

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