As we age, it’s common for us to contemplate whether or not we are “too old” to be doing the activities we were once able to do. Mark Ruffalo’s line of work includes asking himself, “Am I too old?” when contemplating whether or not he should bare it all for a role. And that's exactly what he did in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, which is greatly known to many avid moviegoers by now. According to the Avengers veteran, he had to ask himself, “Does anyone want to see that?” when deciding whether or not he should agree to the over-the-top and unabashed sex scenes in the recently released sci-fi fantasy.
The actor participated in an interview with Perfect magazine, for which he appeared mostly nude in the cover shoot. The Spotlight star opened up about the difficulties he faced while performing the sex scenes with Emma Stone for the surreal flick. Given his age, he admitted that he wasn’t so sure he could pull off the NSFW scenes, telling the publication:
I didn’t know if I could pull this off – I’ve never done anything like this before. And I’m 55 now, so, like, the sex scenes – am I too old to be doing that kind of stuff? Does anyone want to see that?
It seems that people were interested in seeing a different side of the Zodiac actor. He did a great job in the movie, despite some considering it one of Stone's weirdest films. Critics have praised Emma's performance as well as that of Ruffalo, who initially had reservations about playing Rake. However, the cover image of Perfect magazine, shared on its Instagram, suggests that the Hulk actor is feeling very comfortable in his own skin. So, it would appear he indeed “pulled it off.” Pun intended.
Adapted from the novel by Alasdair Gray, the dramedy is a take on the Frankenstein narrative and tells the story of Bella, who is brought back to life by a mad scientist, played by Willem Dafoe. Following her birth, she must still develop emotionally, intellectually, and sexually and eventually wants more. In time, she begins to run away with a passionate lawyer, played by Mark Ruffalo. In CinemaBlend’s review of Poor Things, His 4.5 out of 5-star review, Mike Reyes calls the film “a frank and funny exploration of self-fulfillment.”
Mark Ruffalo’s work in the movie has earned him nominations for Best Supporting Actor by several critics organizations, and he made the list of 2024 Golden Globes nominees alongside his co-star, Willem Dafoe, who played a practical joke on Ruffalo. The film will likely garner more than a couple of Oscar nominations, and Ruffalo may be one of them. So I'd say that showing his bod definitely paid off in this cae.
For those looking for a bit of work from the actor that's a bit safer for work, you can check him out in all of his Marvel appearances as Doctor Bruce Banner/The Hulk, which are available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. He recently lent his voice to Season 2 of What If…?.
Also, check out our 2024 movie schedule of upcoming releases to see what other movies are headed to a theater near you.
