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| Mark Ruffalo at TIFF 2008 |
2012 will be the start of Mark Ruffalo's long-overdue rise as a bona fide Leading Man in Hollywood. The Actor has been confirmed to take the lead in Glee/American Horror Story Creator Ryan Murphy's new Film, The Normal Heart. The HIV/AIDs Drama is based upon a TONY Award-winning Play of the same title and centers on Ned Weeks, who is one of the first Advocates in New York to raise awareness about the disease. Written by Activist/Writer Larry Kramer, the Play largely is autobiographical.
The Cast for The Normal Heart is rather impressive including Julia Roberts, who last teamed with Murphy on 2010's Eat, Pray, Love. She will be playing a wheelchair-bound Doctor who also is among the first to raise concern about HIV/AIDs. Matt Bomer, whose star dramatically is on the rise, takes the role of Weeks' Boyfriend contracting the Disease, while another openly-Gay Actor Jim Parsons will tackle the role of an Activist from the South. Alec Baldwin also has been named to play the Lawyer Brother of Weeks, struggling to cope with the sexuality of Ruffalo's character.
Ruffalo currently is filming Now You See Me, a Bank Heist Thriller which has the FBI circling a team of Illusionists who rob banks as part of their act, rewarding their audiences with money; Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg star. His upcoming Drama Thanks for Sharing has him alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, P!nk, Tim Robbins and Joely Richardson, about three Sex Addicts on the road to recovery. His marquee release however is Disney's all-star The Avengers, in theatres May 4, 2012 which has him starring in what is said to be an important role as Bruce Banner/The Hulk.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)
