Entertainment News
Mark Ruffalo thinks the best thing wannabe actors can do for their career is to stop buying into the idea of fame.
Mark Ruffalo advises wannabe actors to steal from one or two stars who have already made it.
The 47-year-old actor spent a long time trying to make it in movies, including almost ten years spent as a bartender as he won only minor roles. He's now a force to be reckoned with and has become synonymous with superhero the Hulk thanks to the Avengers franchise, with the star suggesting how others can follow in his footsteps.
"What people love about actors are their unique qualities. So the more an actor can live authentically within their own individuality, that's what people are looking for. So I say put down all the magazines that just emphasis fame, and maybe pick one or two actors that you can steal from, and then make it all yours. Then run like hell," he laughed to HollywoodChicago.com.
Mark was happy to share who he looked up to when he was a struggling unknown, citing the likes of Marlon Brando, Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, among others.
On Saturday, Mark received the Renaissance Award from The Gene Siskel Film Center (GSFC) of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). It was to celebrate his time in the industry, taking in his acting, directing and producing achievements, with Mark attending the event to talk about his career to date.
As well as taking his work seriously, the star thinks it's important to have a social conscience. In March he hit the headlines when he reposted an essay by Libby Anne Bruce about feminism on his Tumblr and Twitter pages, quickly sending it viral. It was in response to the 'I am not a feminist' movement, with Libby pointing out by backing that people were setting women's rights back hundreds of years.
Although Mark didn't expect to cause such a storm with the post, he has no problem with it doing so.
"Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe, even though you get your ass kicked," he explained. "My progressive roots began in Catholic school. I took it to heart what that Dude had to say, even though three quarters of the rest of it wasn't lining up with my experiences. Social justice, fighting for the poor, love and tolerance - those things resonated with me as a child. I bought into it. That is where it started for me."
© Cover Media Group 2015