Paramount Pictures Didn't "Give a Sh*t About Mark Ruffalo" and Didn't Want Him in David Fincher's ZODIAC
Mark Ruffalo, known today for his iconic portrayal of Bruce Banner/Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently opened up about a pivotal moment in his career – the casting process for David Fincher's 2007 crime thriller Zodiac. In a candid interview with High Snobiety, Ruffalo revealed how studio representatives bluntly expressed their indifference towards him, a stark contrast to the industry recognition he enjoys today.
When talking about the negotiations for his role in Zodiac in the mid-2000s, Ruffalo shared: “I’ll never forget when they were negotiating my deal [for ‘Zodiac’], the studio negotiator literally said to my manager, ‘Look, we don’t give a shit about Mark Ruffalo. We don’t even want Mark Ruffalo in this movie, so you’re going to take what we’re offering you or forget it.’”
This candid revelation sheds light on the challenges the actor faced in the mid-2000s and the uphill battle he encountered to prove his worth in Hollywood. Ruffalo's journey took an unexpected turn when Joss Whedon approached him for the role of Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The offer, according to Ruffalo, was "out of the blue," considering the studio's previous indifference.
The actor explained: “The fact that Joss came to me for the Hulk was so out of the blue. It’s a tough part – how do you get away with playing a character that doesn’t want to do what everybody wants him to do and sustain that? It’s like a trap. I read it and I was like, ‘I can do something with this.’”
Before his Marvel days, Ruffalo was typecast as a rom-com actor, with hits like 13 Going on 30 and Just Like Heaven defining his image in Hollywood. The actor acknowledged the industry's tendency to pigeonhole performers based on their past successes, saying: "What I felt immediately in the film world is, once you did one thing well, that’s what they think you are. They will just come to you with that part over and over again. And I was like, ‘No.’ My career is not going to be that. I’m going to do as much as I can to try and make people see me in different ways so that I can do more over the years.”
Ruffalo's commitment to breaking free from this mold led him to actively seek diverse roles and prove his range as an actor. Marvel's decision to cast Ruffalo as Hulk not only redefined his career but also shattered preconceived notions about the roles he could inhabit. The actor, previously associated with romantic comedies, embraced the challenge of portraying a superhero and succeeded in winning over both critics and audiences.
Source: Variety