After the release of Thor: Ragnarok, Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of the Hulk gained immense popularity around the world.

Many people aren't aware of the personal challenges and life experiences that contribute to Ruffalo's depth as an actor.

He has encountered numerous twists and turns, ups and downs, including facing a brain tumor that led to facial paralysis, speech difficulties, and the risk of ending his acting career.

He persevered, maintaining his commitment to work on one movie per year while navigating between the Marvel Universe, independent films, and stage productions, ensuring his financial independence while avoiding the glitz and superficiality of Los Angeles.

When Mark Ruffalo first arrived in Los Angeles, he attended acting classes in Los Angeles and, with a group of friends, founded a zero-budget theater company, supporting themselves by doing gardening and painting.

Ruffalo convinced his younger brother to join him in L.A., and they shared a cramped one-bedroom apartment with their cousin and another friend. To make ends meet, they cooked inexpensive meals like tuna spaghetti.

Despite enduring approximately 800 auditions without success, Ruffalo's passion for acting remained. At one point, he gave up acting to return to his hometown and start a business with his father, seeking stability.

However, his mother encouraged him to return to Los Angeles, pursue his dreams, and embrace the hardships that come with it. Ruffalo did so, ultimately finding success and recognition.

In 1998, Ruffalo's life took a fortuitous turn when he met Sunrise Coigney, his wife.

Their meeting was a chance encounter while he was walking with a mutual friend, and it was love at first sight for Ruffalo. However, at that time, he was financially struggling, living in a converted garage, embodying the archetype of a 31-year-old L.A. dreamer surviving on nothing but hard work, talent, and determination.

Though Sunrise had not seen him act, she recognized his talent, and her encouragement spurred Ruffalo to continue his acting journey.

His career began to take off in 2002 with roles in Windtalkers and 13 Going On 30. He was on the cusp of becoming a mainstream Hollywood actor when a life-altering diagnosis interrupted his ascent – a nerve tumor, the size of a walnut, behind his left ear. Initially believing it was a dream, Ruffalo underwent a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis.

The doctors offered a surgical solution but with a 30 percent risk of losing control of his left side. Meanwhile, his wife was about to give birth to their first child.

Not wanting to distress his wife, Ruffalo kept the diagnosis a secret until after the birth. He ultimately underwent the surgery, fearing not death, but the prospect of leaving his child without a father.

In preparation, he recorded a message explaining who he was, ensuring his child wouldn't grow up fatherless.

Today, Ruffalo is a father of three, and the surgery was successful. However, his left face was left partially paralyzed at that time, leading him to withdraw from public life for months.

He faced challenges in mobility, even getting lost near his home.

Mark Ruffalo's journey as the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with The Avengers.

He is the third actor to portray Hulk, but he was unaware of his casting until Comic-Con International: San Diego in 2010.

The secrecy surrounding Marvel's projects extended to Ruffalo himself.

The day before Comic-Con, his agent instructed him to look out of his window at 5:00 a.m. If a car was waiting downstairs, he had the part; otherwise, he should return to bed.

Ruffalo, who had faced numerous rejections during his career, handled it with unwavering resilience.

As expected, the car arrived at five o'clock the next morning.

Marvel's team whisked him away in a private jet to San Diego, where he was kept hidden until the big reveal at Comic-Con.