Houdini is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life of the magician Harry Houdini, written and directed by Pen Densham. It stars Johnathon Schaech, Stacy Edwards, Paul Sorvino and David Warner. It debuted on TNT on December 6, 1998.^[1][2]

The film details the life, relationships and exploits of the famous magician.

• Johnathon Schaech as Harry Houdini
  • Emile Hirsch as Young Harry Houdini
• Stacy Edwards as Bess Houdini
• Paul Sorvino as Blackburn
• Rhea Perlman as Esther
• David Warner as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Mark Ruffalo as Theo
• Grace Zabriskie as Mrs. Weiss
• Ron Perlman as Booking Agent
• Karl Makinen as Jim Collins
• Judy Geeson as Lady Doyle
• George Segal as Beck

Johnathon Schaech (/ʃɛk/ SHEK; born September 10, 1969^{[1]) is an American actor and screenwriter. He made his film debut in Franco Zeffirellis Sparrow (1993) before his breakout with starring roles in the black comedy thriller film The Doom Generation (1995) and the musical comedy-drama film That Thing You Do! (1996).}

Schaech later starred in the films Hush (1998), Splendor (1999), and The Forsaken (2001), and had a main role as John Maguire on the Fox teen drama television series Time of Your Life (1999–2000).

Schaech experienced a career resurgence in the late 2000s and 2010s, starring in the films Prom Night (2008), Quarantine (2008), Phantom (2013), The Legend of Hercules (2014), and Marauders (2016), and having a main role as Sidney Sherman on the History Channel television miniseries Texas Rising (2015). Schaech portrayed DC Comics character Jonah Hex on the CW television series Legends of Tomorrow (2016; 2018) and Batwoman (2019).

In the 2020s, Schaech starred as Justin Wise in the television film Blue Ridge (2020), a role which he reprised on the INSP television series Blue Ridge: The Series (2024). He also starred in the horror film Suitable Flesh (2023).

Johnathon Schaech was born in Edgewood, Maryland, in 1969 to Joe, a Baltimore City law enforcement officer, and Joanne Schaech, a human resources executive.^{[2] He is Catholic.[3] He has a sister, Renée.[2]}

Schaech graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he studied economics and took one acting class.^[4][5]

In 1989, Schaech signed with Wilhelmina West, Inc. and worked for three years doing commercials and bit parts in movies.^{[4][6] He studied under acting teacher Roy London for three and half years until Londons death in 1993.[5][7]}

In 1993, Schaech played the lead role in Franco Zeffirellis period drama Sparrow (Italian: Storia di una capinera).^{[5][7] Schaech then played drifter Xavier Red in the Gregg Araki film The Doom Generation.[7] In 1995, Schaechs character Leon romanced Winona Ryders character Finn in How to Make an American Quilt[7] which received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.[8] In 1996, Schaech played the ambitious but self-absorbed lead singer of The Wonders in Tom Hanks That Thing You Do![9] Schaech next starred opposite Jessica Lange and Gwyneth Paltrow in the 1998 thriller Hush, which "promptly bombed".[4][10][11]}

Also in 1996, he was on the cover of Vanity Fairs annual "Hollywood" issue.^[12]

In 1997, Schaech starred in the Australian comedy Welcome to Woop Woop directed by Stephan Elliott.^{[13][14][15][16] Playing a British military man, Schaech was in the independent feature Woundings in 1998,[17] for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 2001 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival.[18] In 1998, Schaech portrayed Harry Houdini in TNTs Houdini. Schaech received praise not only for a convincing dramatic portrayal, but for learning and performing all the magic tricks and stunts himself.[19][20][21][22][23] In 1999, Schaech appeared with Harvey Keitel in Finding Graceland[24] and in 1999, Schaech reunited with Araki in Splendor, which premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.[25] In 1999, he played the love interest of Jennifer Love Hewitt in the Party of Five spin-off, Time of Your Life.[26][27] In 2000, Schaech performed in his first major play, David Rabes A Question for Mercy, playing a Colombian-born gay Manhattanite dying of AIDS. He lost 35 pounds (16kg) for the role.[28] In 2000, Schaech played a small part in the comedy How To Kill Your Neighbors Dog.[29][30]}

In 2001, Schaech played the title character in the ABC television film Judas.^{[31] In 2002, he played Seattle cop and detective named Daniel Pruitt in the movie Blood Crime. In 2005, he co-starred with his then-wife Christina Applegate, in Suzannes Diary for Nicholas for CBS.[32] In 2006, Schaech starred in Little Chenier. The film won best picture and best ensemble at the Phoenix film festival.[33] In 2006, he co-starred opposite Heather Locklear in the Lifetime television film Angels Fall.[34] In 2007, Schaech was nominated for an MTV award for best villain for his performance in Sonys remake of Prom Night.[35][36] In 2009, Schaech played Captain Rezo Avaliani in the Renny Harlin directed war film 5 Days of War.[37][38] In 2009, Schaech guest starred in a Cold Case, playing Julian Bellows, a light-skinned black man who was passing as white to live a better life.[39]}

In 2013, Schaech played a Soviet political officer, in the submarine thriller Phantom.^{[40][41][42][43] He appeared in five episodes of the first season of the Showtime series Ray Donovan as an eccentric movie star, Sean Walker, and played the Egyptian mercenary Tarak in The Legend of Hercules, gaining 30 pounds (14kg) of muscle for the role.[44] In 2014, Schaech played Colonel Sherman in the miniseries Texas Rising.[45] Between 2016 and 2018, Schaech appeared in the first three seasons of the television series Legends of Tomorrow as the DC Comics bounty hunter Jonah Hex.[46][47][48] He returned in 2019 to reprise the role in the crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.[49] In 2016, Schaech shot the heist movie Marauders, playing a possibly corrupt cop whose wife is dying of cancer.[50] The film would make it to Netflixs U.S. platforms top two in December 2020.[51] In 2018, Schaech appeared in noir crime drama The Night Clerk opposite Ana de Armas.[52] In 2018, Schaech starred opposite Frank Grillo in the action flick Reprisal. Years after its release, the film made Netflixs US platforms top five in October 2021.[53]}

Schaech played Marshall Hitchcock opposite Jason Scott Lee in The Wind & the Reckoning, a Hawaiian Western historical drama film released on 4 November 2022.^{[54][55] In 2022, he played cult leader Chisos in Frank and Penelope written and directed by Sean Patrick Flanery.[56]}

In 2023, Schaech leads an action-crime series based on the 2020 film Blue Ridge. The series of the same name expands the films storyline, and Schaech reprises his lead role as Sheriff Justin Wise.^{[13][57][58][59]}

Schaech has co-written several screenplays with Richard Chizmar, including Heroes (2002), Road House 2 (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2006), based on a story by Miles Chapman, Masters of Horror The Washingtonians (Showtime, 2007), based on a story by Bentley Little and The Poker Club, based on the story by Ed Gorman. They have also co-written screenplays based on stories by Peter Crowther (Fear Itself: Eater, NBC/AXN Sci-Fi, 2009), Lewis Shiner (Fear Itself: The Circle, NBC/AXN Sci-Fi, 2009) and Stephen King (From A Buick 8 and Black House, both in production 2009).^[60]

Schaechs book, Rick Dempseys Caught Stealing: Unbelievable Stories From a Lifetime of Baseball, was published in 2014.^[61]

During the mid-1990s, Schaech often accompanied actress Ellen DeGeneres, who had not yet come out as a lesbian to public events. Schaech was scheduled to appear in the 1997 episode of Ellen in which DeGeneress character also came out as gay but could not participate in the filming.^[62]

Schaech married actress Christina Applegate in October 2001. In December 2005, he filed for a divorce citing irreconcilable differences.^{[63] The divorce was finalized in August of 2007.[64]}

Schaech married Jana Kramer on July 4, 2010, seven months after announcing their engagement.^{[65] The couple announced their separation one month later.[66] Their divorce was finalized in June 2011.[67]}

In 2013, Schaech spoke on Capitol Hill about the importance of arts education.^[68][69]

Schaechs third marriage was to Julie Solomon in July 2013.^{[70] They have a son born in September 2013,[71] and a daughter born in July 2020.[72]}

In a January 11, 2018, article in People Magazine, Schaech said director Franco Zeffirelli sexually assaulted him during the filming of Sparrow (1993). Schaech wrote that the assault affected his confidence and caused trauma that led to his addictions to sex, drugs, and alcohol.^[73][74][75]

In 2019, Schaech took part in the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) PSA, "Wont Stay Quiet" as a survivor of sexual violence.^[76]

Emile Davenport Hirsch (born March 13, 1985)^{[1] is an American actor. His portrayal of Chris McCandless in Into the Wild (2007) earned him acclaim and multiple award nominations.}

Other notable roles include The Girl Next Door (2004), Lords of Dogtown (2005), Alpha Dog (2006), Speed Racer (2008), Milk (2008), Lone Survivor (2013), The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016), The Chinese Widow (2017), An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn (2018), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

Emile Hirsch was born in the Palms section of Los Angeles. His mother, Margaret Esther (née Davenport), is a visual artist, teacher, and pop-up book designer, and his father, David Milton Hirsch, is an entrepreneur, manager, and film producer.^{[2][3] He has an older sister, Jennifer, and was raised in Los Angeles and Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lived with his mother for several years.[3] Hirsch attended Alexander Hamilton High School where he studied in the Music program.[4]}

Hirsch began acting on television roles in the late 1990s. He starred in the Showtime original film Wild Iris (2001), with Laura Linney and Gena Rowlands. He made his cinematic film debut for The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)^{[5] and next starred with Kevin Kline in The Emperors Club (2002).}

In 2004, Hirsch starred in The Girl Next Door. He starred with Jeff Daniels and Sigourney Weaver in the limited release Imaginary Heroes (2004).^{[6][7] In 2005, Hirsch starred in Catherine Hardwickes film Lords of Dogtown (2005) about a group of skaters in the 1970s and their role in the birth of skateboard culture. Hirsch played Jay Adams. He played a character based on a real-life drug dealer, Jesse James Hollywood, in Alpha Dog (2006).}

Hirsch played Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild (2007). He lost 40 pounds for the role, which earned him a Screen Actors Guild nomination for best actor.^{[8] Esquire said, "[Hirsch] creates a vivid, unforgettable character you at once admire and pity."[9]}

Hirsch had the title role in the Wachowskis Speed Racer, which was released on May 9, 2008^{[10] and was a box office bomb. Hirsch played gay-rights activist Cleve Jones in Gus Van Sants biopic Milk (2008). He also appeared in Ang Lees Taking Woodstock (2009), based on a screenplay of the Elliot Tiber memoir Taking Woodstock. He then starred in William Friedkins 2011 southern gothic thriller Killer Joe.}

In April 2011, he was cast in Oliver Stones Savages, which was released in July 2012.^[11]

In 2012, Hirsch starred with Penélope Cruz in Venuto al Mondo, a film by Italian director Sergio Castellitto. In 2013, he was in Prince Avalanche, co-starring Paul Rudd.

Hirsch starred in The Motel Life, co-starring Dakota Fanning and Stephen Dorff, directed by the Polsky brothers. In 2013, he starred with Holliday Grainger, Holly Hunter, and William Hurt in the miniseries Bonnie & Clyde. Hirsch co-starred in the film Lone Survivor, based on the memoir of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell.

In February 2017, it was announced that Hirsch would star with Aubrey Plaza in the comedy An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn.^[12]

In May 2018, Hirsch became the new voice for character James Lake Jr. in the Netflix original DreamWorks show Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia from Guillermo del Toro, replacing Anton Yelchin in its third season following his death. Hirsch continues to reprise the role of Jim in 3 Below, Wizards and Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.

In 2019, Hirsch portrayed Hollywood hairdresser and Manson family victim Jay Sebring in the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

On October 25, 2019, Hirsch released his first album under Hirsch called Mnemonic. Two of its songs, "Tooth Fairy" and "Angels Will", were selected to be on the New Alt playlist on Spotify. KROQ DJ Megan Holiday also picked Mnemonic as one of her favorite albums of the year. After that albums release, Hirsch released the single "American Dreamin", and on 2/14 released his new single "Casual Animal."^[13]

Hirsch has released five singles, starting with "Remember Days When," (which he co-wrote with Foster The Peoples Mark Foster)^{[citation needed] and "Hard Hearts". He released "Prisoners" and "The Same Different" and then "Favors". Both "Prisoners" and "Favors" were both put on Spotifys New Noise Playlist. "Favors" was also put on multiple playlists on Deezer, including #3 placement on "Seleccíon Editorial Mexico y Central America," one of Deezers biggest playlists worldwide, with 6.7 million followers.}

After releasing more singles over the course of a year, Hirsch released his second album called Denihilism on March 12, 2021.^[14][15]

Mark Alan Ruffalo (/ˈrʌfəloʊ/; born November 22, 1967^{[1]) is an American actor. He began acting in the late 1980s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergans play This Is Our Youth (1996) and drama film You Can Count on Me (2000). He went on to star in the romantic comedies 13 Going on 30 (2004) and Just like Heaven (2005), and the thrillers In the Cut (2003), Zodiac (2007), and Shutter Island (2010). He received a Tony Award nomination for his supporting role in the Broadway revival of Awake and Sing! in 2006. Ruffalo has gained international recognition for playing Bruce Banner / The Hulk since 2012 in the superhero franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.}

Ruffalo earned a record-tying four nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a sperm donor in The Kids Are All Right (2010), Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher (2014), Michael Rezendes in Spotlight (2015), and a debauched lawyer in Poor Things (2023). He won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for playing a gay activist in the television drama film The Normal Heart (2015), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his dual role as identical twins in the miniseries I Know This Much Is True (2020).

Mark Alan Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.^{[2] His mother, Marie Rose (néeHébert), is a hairdresser and stylist, while his father, Frank Lawrence Ruffalo Jr., worked as a construction painter.[3][4] He has two sisters, Tanya Marie (died 2023)[5] and Nicole, and a brother, Scott (died 2008).[3] His father is of Italian descent, from Girifalco, Calabria,[6] and his mother is of French Canadian and Italian ancestry.[7][8] His father was a Bahai, while his mother was Christian.[9] "I grew up in a household that had three religions in it, (born-again) Christianity, Catholicism and Bahaiism, so there were different viewpoints and a lot of debate about that, and I immediately began to understand that all these people that I loved very much had very strong feelings about faith, but all of them were valid to me. I felt that none of them, my grandmother, my father or my mother, was better or worse than the other."[10]}

Ruffalo attended both Catholic and progressive schools throughout his education. Ruffalo has described himself as having been a "happy kid",^{[11] although he struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD as a child and a young adult.[12]}

Ruffalo spent his teen years in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where his father worked. He competed in wrestling in junior high and high school in Wisconsin and Virginia. Ruffalo graduated from First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach in 1986, where he acted for the Patriot Playhouse. 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.^{[3] With the theater company, he wrote, directed, and starred in a number of plays. He also spent close to a decade working as a bartender.[13]}

1989–2002: Early roles and theatre debut

He made his screen debut in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse (1989),^{[14] followed by minor film roles. Ruffalo played Vinnie Webber, a minor character in Series 1 Episode 9 of Due South, first broadcast in Canada in 1994.[15] During this time he made his film debut in the horror film Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance (1994) followed by Mirror, Mirror III: The Voyeur (1995). He starred as Warren Straub in the original cast of the Kenneth Lonergan play This Is Our Youth (1996) off-Broadway. Lonergan was a founding member of Naked Angels, a theater company that Ruffalo also belonged to.[16] Ruffalo acted opposite Josh Hamilton and Missy Yager.[17] Ruffalo had minor roles in films including The Dentist (1996), the low-key crime comedy Safe Men (1998), and Ang Lees Civil War western Ride with the Devil (1999).}

Ruffalo reunited with Kenneth Lonergan acting in his film You Can Count on Me (2000). Ruffalo portrayed Laura Linneys characters brother.^{[3] The film received critical acclaim and two Academy Award nominations. He received favorable reviews for his performance in this film, often earning comparisons to the young Marlon Brando, and won awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and Montreal World Film Festival.[3] His next role was in 2001 in Rod Luries The Last Castle playing a bookie in a military prison alongside Robert Redford. It led to other supporting roles, including the films XX/XY (2002), Isabel Coixets My Life Without Me, John Woos Windtalkers (2003), Jane Campions In the Cut (2003) and We Dont Live Here Anymore (2004).}

In the mid-2000s, Ruffalo appeared as a romantic lead in numerous romantic comedies starting with View from the Top (2003) starring Gwyneth Paltrow. He then starred opposite Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30 (2004) which has since become a cult classic. That same year he also acted in Michel Gondrys romantic fantasy drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey. In the film Ruffalo plays a supporting role as Stan who is a technician in charge of erasing peoples memories of each other. That same year he acted opposite Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise as a narcotics detective in Michael Manns crime thriller Collateral (2004).^{[3] Todd McCarthy of Variety praised Ruffalo writing, " [He] provides an extra dimension of intelligence to what initially looks like a stock cop role."[18] He starred in Just Like Heaven (2005) with Reese Witherspoon which was adapted from the French novel by Marc Levy entitled If Only It Were True. That same year he acted in the Rob Reiner romantic comedy Rumor Has It (2005) starring Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner and Shirley MacLaine.[3]}

In 2006 he starred in the political drama remake All the Kings Men acting opposite Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Anthony Hopkins. The film was adapted by Steven Zaillian based on the Robert Penn Warren 1946 novel of the same name. Also in 2006, Ruffalo made his Broadway debut starring as Moe Axelrod in Clifford Odetss Awake and Sing! at the Belasco Theatre in New York. Ruffalo acted alongside Lauren Ambrose, Pablo Schreiber and Zoe Wanamaker. Charles Isherwood of The New York Times wrote of his performance, "Nobody slings it with more panache than Mark Ruffalo, the soulful movie and stage actor making his Broadway debut here."^{[19] David Rooney of Variety wrote "The most arresting work onstage comes from Ruffalo, channeling prickly charm into a proud man who uses glib aggression to camouflage his frustration. Ruffalo’s scenes with Ambrose are the drama’s most electric moments".[20] The role earned him a nomination for Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[3]}

In March 2007, he appeared in David Finchers crime thriller Zodiac as SFPD homicide inspector Dave Toschi, who ran the investigation to find and apprehend the Zodiac killer from 1969 through most of the 1970s.^{[3] Ruffalo acted opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.. Critic Roger Ebert described Ruffalos performance writing, "Ruffalo plays him not as a hotshot but as a dogged officer who does things by the book because he believes in the book". Toschi was role model for the Clint Eastwood film Dirty Harry.[21] That same year, Ruffalo played divorced lawyer Dwight Arno, who accidentally kills a child and speeds away, in Terry Georges film Reservation Road, based on the novel by John Burnham Schwartz.[22] In 2008, Ruffalo starred as a con man in The Brothers Bloom with Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz and co-starred with Julianne Moore in Blindness. 2008 also saw Ruffalo in Brian Goodmans What Doesnt Kill You with Ethan Hawke and Amanda Peet, which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2009, he played a brief role in the film Where the Wild Things Are as Maxs mothers boyfriend.}

Ruffalo directed a number of plays during his time at the Orpheus Theatre Company, and made his feature film directorial debut with 2010 indie film Sympathy for Delicious starring Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney and Ruffalo,^{[23] which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize.[24][25] In March 2010, Ruffalo signed with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA);[26] in June 2010, he signed on with the United Talent Agency (UTA).[24]}

In 2010, he co-starred in the Martin Scorsese thriller Shutter Island as U.S. Marshal Chuck Aule, the partner of Leonardo DiCaprios character Teddy Daniels.^{[27] Also in 2010, he starred in Lisa Cholodenkos The Kids Are All Right, with Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. Ruffalo stated in an interview that he approached Cholodenko after watching High Art and said he would love to work with her. Years later, she called Ruffalo and said she wrote a script and had him in mind for the part. Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter praised all three leads for their chemistry and performances writing, "Moore, Bening and Ruffalo all deliver endearingly quirky comic performances".[28] His role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.[29]}

Ruffalo starred in The Avengers (2012), the sixth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, replacing Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk.^{[30] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised Ruffalos work writing, "Ruffalo actually makes Bruce and Hulk interesting, even droll characters (he also plays the monster in mo-cap), superior to the Eric Bana and Edward Norton incarnations, and his version ingeniously locates the big green monsters secret not in the over-rehearsed subject of "anger management" but depression and self-hate."[31] He reprised the role again in Iron Man 3 (2013),[32] and in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).[33]}

In 2013, he starred in the romantic comedy Begin Again acting alongside Keira Knightley. The film received positive reviews and was a financial success. The following year, Ruffalo starred as Ned Weeks in the HBO television adaptation of Larry Kramers AIDS-era play, The Normal Heart (2014), his performance earned him an Emmy nomination.^{[34] He says he has had an outpouring of support for his performance:}

Ive never had so sincere and vulnerable a response from people for anything that Ive ever done. ... And of everything that Ive done since Ive been on social media, which hasnt been that long, by the way, I havent had such an overwhelmingly positive response as I have from The Normal Heart directly to me. And its a blessing, man. 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 thats a gift. Thats rare."^[35]

Also in 2014, Ruffalo received his second Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of wrestler Dave Schultz in the biographical drama Foxcatcher directed by Bennett Miller. Ruffalo co-starred alongside Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Vanessa Redgrave. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote of their performances, "Tatum and Ruffalo, as Mark and Dave, have outdone themselves. These actors give what seems to me the most compelling portrayal of brothers since Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro in Scorsese’s Raging Bull."^{[36] 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 for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nomination.}

Also in 2015, he portrayed journalist Michael Rezendes in the drama film Spotlight, for which he earned his third Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA Award nomination. Ruffalo acted opposite Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, and Liev Schreiber. Ruffalo told The Hollywood Reporter that he met with Rezendes and studied him as research for the film saying, "I spent a lot of time with the real journalist, I had meals with him. I talked with him for hours. I sat next to him at work, I watched him work the phones. I watched him write his stories. I talked to him about his life and his family. I had him give me tours of Boston. As much as I could soak him up seemed to be the most important part.".^[37]

The following year he portrayed Agent Dylan Rhoades in Now You See Me 2 (2016) and executive produced the romantic drama Anything (2017). He returned to Broadway in the revival of the Arthur Miller play The Price (2017) at the American Airlines Theatre. Ruffalo acted opposite Danny DeVito and Tony Shalhoub. Marilyn Stasio of Variety wrote, "Ruffalo and DeVito clearly get a kick out of the buying and selling rituals of Victor and Solomon. There is warmth in their tones and mutual respect in their exchange of confidences".^[38]

In 2019, he starred as Robert Bilott in the Todd Haynes directed legal thriller Dark Waters which he also produced. The film co-starred Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, and Victor Garber. During this time he reprised his role of Bruce Banner in Thor: Ragnarok (2017),^{[39] Avengers: Infinity War (2018),[40][41] Captain Marvel (2019),[42] and Avengers: Endgame (2019).[43] He has been noted for spoiling the endings of Avengers: Infinity War a year ahead of theatrical release,[40][41] as well as Avengers: Endgame a few weeks ahead of release.[43]}

In 2020, Ruffalo portrayed dual roles of Dominick Birdsey / Thomas Birdsey in the HBO limited series I Know This Much Is True where he also served as an executive producer. Daniel DAddario of Variety wrote, "Ruffalo’s performances carry the series. This is his two-man show, with supporting characters glimmering in and out".^{[44] For his role he earned the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Ruffalo has continued to appear as Bruce Banner / The Hulk in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)[45] and in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).[46] In 2022 he acted in the Netflix science fiction action comedy The Adam Project opposite Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldana.}

In 2023, he starred in the Yorgos Lanthimos directed black comedy fantasy film Poor Things starring Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival where it received the Golden Lion. Maureen Lee Lenker of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Ruffalo appears to be having the time of his life, chewing the scenery with a manic glee. Hes built a career playing solid, decent men, and what fun it is to watch him play a reprobate cad [and] a puffed-up vainglorious peacock, a man whose ego is the size of an entire continent".^{[47] He received Critics Choice, Golden Globe, and Academy Award nominations for his performance. The same year, he played Daniel LeBlanc in the Netflix miniseries All the Light We Cannot See (2023). The series is based on Anthony Doerrs Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name[48] and was released November 2, 2023.[49]}

In 2025, he portrayed Kenneth Marshall in the Bong Joon-ho directed science fiction film Mickey 17. Ruffalo acted opposite Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, and Toni Collette. The film is based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.^[50]

Ruffalo married Sunrise Coigney in 2000. They have three children.^[51][52]

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. The tumor was found to be benign; however, the surgery to remove the mass resulted in partial facial paralysis and affected his hearing.^{[53] The paralysis subsided after a year, but Ruffalo remains deaf in his left ear.[54]}

On December 1, 2008, Ruffalos younger brother, Scott, was found outside his home on North Palm Drive in Beverly Hills with an execution-style bullet wound to the head.^{[55][56] Scott was taken to a hospital, but died the following week.[57] The case remains unsolved.[58]}

Ruffalo and his family live in Sullivan County, New York, and he describes the Catskills as his "home". Ruffalo also owns two apartments in New York City, one for business and another as an investment.^{[59] Ruffalos mother and stepfather live in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where he and his family occasionally spend their summers.[60]}

In May 2022, Ruffalo was sued by residents of Ellenville, New York, for not cleaning up a fire that broke out on the set of a car dealership that was used as a location for IKnow This Much Is True.^{[61] The lawsuit claims that the residents suffered physical and emotional injuries and added that the fire caused damage to their homes and exposed them to toxic fumes.[62]}

In the 2016 election, Ruffalo supported Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.^{[63] While on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ruffalo endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president in the 2020 United States presidential election, stating "you know when he gets in the office, he is going to be fighting for us".[64] In June 2017, Ruffalo posted a petition on Twitter urging NBC to stop hiring white conservative commentators.[65]}

Ruffalo endorsed Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 UK general election. He tweeted: "Because @jeremycorbyn offers people an alternative to the Corporate status quo, which never ends well for them, I humbly endorse Corbyn."^{[66][67] Ruffalo signed a letter supporting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, which described him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him for in the 2019 UK general election.[68]}

In November 2021, Ruffalo criticized the not-guilty ruling in the case of Kyle Rittenhouse in his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and said the people shot by Rittenhouse were murdered.^{[69][70][71] In April 2022, Ruffalo urged voters to check voter ID requirements in their states through posts to his social media. Ruffalo cited VoteRiders as a source of assistance for voter ID requirements across the United States.[72][73]}

In 2024 election, Ruffalo endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.^{[74] He also supported the Green Party of British Columbia in the provincial elections.[75]}