"Every news organization in the country ran it without bothering to check if it was true," he said. Ruffalo said: I was praying and sort of bargaining with God I was like hey man, please um you know don't take my face and don't take my life because without my face I can't really support my family and without my life definitely can't support my family.. Mark Alan Ruffalo was born on November 22nd of 1967 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. One evening, a gang member entered and pulled a gun, though, luckily for Ruffalo and his colleagues, the guy working the door at the time was an off-duty police officer. "It was so startlingthe impression from the dream was that it had to be dealt with immediately," he said. Make it count. Terrorist Advisory List. In the past, Ruffalo, 54, has opened up about his. 210.65.88.143 In December 2008, Ruffalo's younger brother and former roommate Scott was murdered. "It's pretty much a daily practice that quiets your brain and oddly enough, actually slows down time, so you're not so much trapped in your immediate reactions to things," he explained. While it did cause partial facial paralysis in Ruffalo, it was thankfully a benign tumor. [1] In 2006, Ruffalo starred in Clifford Odets's Awake and Sing! ", During the promotion of Maya Forbes' autobiographical 2014 film Infinitely Polar Bear where he played a clinically bipolar father, Ruffalo shared his own experience with mental health issues. This can put pressure on the brain which can result in intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities". As a result of Ruffalo's paralysis, the actor remained outside the public eye for about a year to focus on his recovery. Young women, totally strung out, sores all over their face, would knock on our door asking for money or food. Just as Ruffalo's career was starting to pick up, he was forced to withdraw from acting due to some scary health issues and their lingering effects. He has broad clinical experience in the psychoanalytic treatment of mood . [49][50], 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. Ruffalo retreated to his home where he stayed in self-imposed exile, refusing colleagues and friends alike. [43], In October 2020, speaking to Mehdi Hasan, Ruffalo condemned what he called Israel's "asymmetrical warfare" against the Palestinians, stating, "There is no reason that an ally of America should not be held to the same standards as any other nation in the world." Instead, he asked God to take his hearingsomething his doctors had informed him was one possible outcome of the surgery. The actor says that while he experienced no notable symptoms after being diagnosed, he was advised to get surgery quickly as the tumor was resting on a facial nerve. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { From here on out, do the best you can to make it count.". [38][39] The same month, Ruffalo endorsed Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 UK general election. During his interview with the Acoustic Neuroma Association, Ruffalo said his dream was "so startling" that he knew he couldn't put the surgery off for too long, but a previous bad experience with anesthesia had him terrified. It was a benign brain tumor that had to be surgically removed. He was cast as the male lead for Lonergan's directorial debut in 2000, You Can Count on Me. [10], Ruffalo played 'Vinnie Webber', a minor character in Series 1 Episode 9 of Due South, first broadcast in Canada in 1994. "They told me the surgery went well, they got all the tumor, they preserved my nerve but I just heard a ringing in my left ear.". Initially it appeared that Scott might have died due to a Russian roulette mishap, but eventually the case was ruled a homicide. READ MORE: Diabetes: Two red fruits shown to supercharge insulin sensitivity and slash blood sugar [INSIGHT]. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Ruffalo did in fact lose his hearing soon after surgery. TIL that Mark Ruffalo was diagnosed with a brain tumor that resulted in temporary facial paralysis and the permanent loss of hearing in his left year. In an interview with the Acoustic Neuroma Association regarding his experiences before and after his operation, Mark said he focused on trying to move his face muscles for about an hour every day and walking. The star had to undergo surgery just four weeks after his diagnosis to remove the tumour, which he was terrified about. "When I woke up I was so sickand I was not dead, so that was goodbut I was so sick I almost wished I was." He competed in wrestling in junior high and high school in Wisconsin and Virginia. "[64], He has shown support for the LGBT community;[65] however, he has received backlash from the transgender community for supporting the casting of a man, Matt Bomer, to play a trans woman in the film Anything, on which Ruffalo was an executive producer. Mark had a difficult time accepting the fact that he was unable to work. Mark Ruffalo ( Full name: Mark Alan Ruffalo ) is a 55-year-old American actor and producer. In June 2020, Ruffalo appeared in a webinar conference for the Irish Green Party to encourage members to accept the recently negotiated programme for government, agreed between the party, Fine Gael and Fianna Fil. "When he finally did, I was like, 'Oh my God, how could you bear all that?'" And of everything that I've done since I've been on social media, which hasn't been that long, by the way, I haven't had such an overwhelmingly positive response as I have from The Normal Heart directly to me. But he may well be the first actor to play both Bruce Banner *and* Hulk. "Fox News picked it up and bundled it together with my brother's murder to make it sound as ominous as possible. Fortunately, he recovered fully after a brief spell of illness. [55] The case remains unsolved. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole", "Mark Ruffalo and Viola Davis lead reactions as Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty", "We come together to mourn the lives lost to the same racist system that devalues Black lives and devalued the lives of Anthony and JoJo", "Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict: Hollywood Reacts To Acquittal With Outrage But Not Surprise", "Mark Ruffalo Jokes That His Kids Do Not Respect the Hulk: See His Family on the Red Carpet", "Mark Ruffalo Shares His Kids Shot a Scene for 'Thor: Ragnarok': 'They Had a Great Day' (Exclusive)", "Crazy Dream That Led To The Discovery of Mark Ruffalo Brain Tumor", "Mark Ruffalo's Brother Shot in the Head", "Mark Ruffalo Opens Up About the Murder of His Younger Brother Scott", "Mark Ruffalo's stepfather to speak at screening", "Mark Ruffalo and HBO Sued Over 2019 Fire on Set of I Know This Much Is True", "Kylie Jenner Isn't the Only Celebrity Who Believes in Chemtrails", "9 Stars Who Have Been 9/11 Conspiracy Truthers (Photos)", "Mark Ruffalo's pro-choice stance on abortion rights sets a powerful example", "Mark Ruffalo says capitalism is 'killing us'; millionaire actor calls for 'economic revolution', "Mark Ruffalo Reveals The Message Of "The Normal Heart" And The Personal Reason LGBT Equality Is Important To Him", "Mark Ruffalo Defends Matt Bomer Amid Transgender Casting Criticism", "Celebrities split over Ellen DeGeneres's remarks about George W. Bush", "Is Socialism Here To Stay In 2016, Or Is Bernie Sanders Just Another Howard Dean? He begged God not to take away the one thing that he used to support his family, but, at that stage, it looked as though his face might never recover, essentially bringing his career as an actor to an end just as it was really getting started. However, he did permanently lose his ability to hear in his left ear. Bonus: You'll also be a much, much healthier man. As a result of the tumour, he briefly suffered a period of partial facial paralysis. On top of everything he witnessed while living in MacArthur Park with his brother, he also had to deal with the loss of his best friend, who took his own life In 1994. Worse still, that side of his face was completely paralyzed he couldn't even close his eye. Ruffalo was forced to pass the part of Merrill Hess to Joaquin Phoenix, but that was the least of his worries, as his wife was just weeks from giving birth to their first child at the time. Now at 53, his popularity has increased even more due to his role as Bruce Banner aka Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Actor: Spotlight. ", During an interview with theObserver, Ruffalo commented on his depression, "It's dysthymia. The actor was terrified that facial paralysis could cost him his career. Now at 53, his popularity has increased even more due to his role as Bruce Banner aka Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "I was like that for about 10 months and the likelihood of it ever getting better looked pretty remote," he told The Telegraph. [8], He made his screen debut in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse (1989),[9] followed by minor film roles, and was part of the original cast of This Is Our Youth (1996). Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a TV Movie, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, List of awards and nominations received by Mark Ruffalo, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, List of actors with Academy Award nominations, List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories, "Mark Ruffalo: intervista con l'attore di Avengers", "Ruffalo ascends to the next level in 'Heaven', "5 Fakta Mark Ruffalo, Dari Kena Tumor Otak Hingga Adiknya Ditembak Mati", "Shutter Island Opens Doors For Home Video", "TOLDJA! Though Ruffalo wanted to be an actor, he was embarrassed and lied. According to Ruffalo, he gained 40 pounds following his operation. The two other people present at Scott's home that night (26-year-old Shaha Adham, the daughter of a wealthy Saudi businessman, and Brian Scofield, her 29-year-old boyfriend) were arrested but told authorities that Scott inflicted the wound on himself. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. "Branches of this nerve directly influence your balance and hearing, and pressure from an acoustic neuroma can cause hearing loss, ringing in your ear and unsteadiness. [7], Ruffalo spent his teen years in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where his father worked. The Dark Waters star had a wake-up call in 1994 when he lost his best friend Michael to suicide. en.m.wikipedia.org comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment Unfortunately, Ruffalo's best friend isn't the only person close to him who passed away unexpectedly. In December 2008, Ruffalo's younger brother and former roommate Scott was murdered. "She came in and she was white as a sheet, and she said, 'you have a mass behind your left ear that's the size of a golf ball. "Like, 'Okay, he had a motorcycle accident and he's paralyzed on the left side of his face.'" His full name is Mark Alan Ruffalo He was born on November 22, 1967 He is an American actor, producer, and political activist He made his screen debut in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse (1989) Followed by minor film roles He was part of the original cast of This Is Our Youth (1996) [36], In March 2016, Ruffalo narrated and produced Dear President Obama: The Clean Energy Revolution Is Now, a documentary by director Jon Bowermaster which looks at President Barack Obama's environmental tenure and legacy concerning the massive expansion of oil and natural gas drilling. At that point I thought maybe I wasn't enjoying it the way I thought I would, and so having that kind of taken away from me for a little while made me understand how much I actually loved it and cared about it," he added. In all, I disappeared for a year." Thankfully, it started beating again, but despite the removal of the benign growth, his battle was just beginning. After filming the 2001 action drama The Last Castle starring Robert Redford, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma or acoustic neuroma. Not so lucky for the gangbanger, however the cop pulled his own gun and shot him dead on the spot. Mark Ruffalo Ethnicity. He has explained his opinion by saying: "I don't want to turn back the hands of time to when women shuttled across state lines in the thick of night to resolve an unwanted pregnancy, in a cheap hotel room. Even after the tumour was removed, the resulting paralysis of the left side of Marks face caused complications for the actor. "[67], In the 2016 election, Ruffalo supported Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. Ruffalo has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right (2010), the biopic Foxcatcher (2014), and the drama Spotlight (2015). Actor: Spotlight. My work started to change, my luck started to change. He was rushed to hospital and managed to hang onto life for a week, but, when it became clear that he wasn't going to recover, his life support was switched off, devastating his family. [58], 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 I Know This Much Is True. Around 2000, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a brain tumor known as an acoustic neuroma. "I was so unbelievably miserable, and what was worse was people's reactions to seeing me. Ruffalo was ultimately diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, a non-cancerous tumor which can develop in the main nerve between the inner ear and brain. Ruffalo cited VoteRiders as a source of assistance for voter ID requirements across the United States .[71][72]. While the actor described this side effect as somewhat comical, he also explained that it limited his ability to help take care of his children. So it wasn't too hard to revisit those places. Born in Wisconsin to a hairdresser mother and painter father, a Hollywood life was far from what he was used to. He is the founder of the 'Solutions Project', which works for achieving 100% renewable energy. Though the actor had been set to star in Noah Baumbach's Greenberg at the time, he decided to drop out of the indie flick to grieve (he was replaced by Ben Stiller). With every new adversity, I protested almost to God 'How much more of this do I have to take?'". [22] Ruffalo also made cameo appearances as Banner in Iron Man 3,[23] Captain Marvel,[24] and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,[25] and he reprised the role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.[26]. Ruffalo fired his agent and publicist, left his apartment in L.A., and moved to a secluded home in upstate New York with his wife and three children. For his talents, Mark has received numerous nominations and awards including a BAFTA Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Supplements: Folic acid increase prostate cancer risk, Bowel cancer: Symptoms include hematochezia, Mark Ruffalo: The Hulk actor was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in 2001, Chris Evans health: Radio DJ on his 'unbearable' symptoms, Mark Ruffalo: The actor's face became paralysed just days after his surgery, Ruth Jones health: Star uses particular spice to help arthritis, Tom Hanks health: Star suffered from 'crippling' aches and fatigue, Michael Caine health: Star, 89, on his health concerns. More info, Mark Ruffalo, 52, is the epitome of the expression a 10 year overnight success. Though the tumor was benign, the resulting surgery led to a period of partial facial paralysis, from which he fully recovered. In an interview with Parade, Ruffalo described how he and his friend remained close, saying, "He was the only one I knew as sad as me who I could talk to.". He is also a staunch supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and supports the pro-choice movements. These two things helped to speed up his recovery and regain his balance. Ruffalo feared that the surgery had ruined his acting ability, but, fortunately, the best was yet to come. [17] He reprised the role again in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[18] Thor: Ragnarok (2017),[19] Avengers: Infinity War (2018),[20][21] and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Ruffalo gained nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a sperm-donor in the comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right (2010), Dave Schultz in the biopic Foxcatcher (2014), and Michael Rezendes in the drama Spotlight (2015). Whatever the truth, I was damaged goods. Scott Ruffalo's murder remains unsolved. ", "Conspiracy Theories About Zika Spread Through Brazil With the Virus", "Dear President Obama: The Clean Energy Revolution is Now", "Mark Ruffalo seeks help in stopping MSNBC's white conservative hiring spree", "Mark Ruffalo in hulk rage at NBC, pushes petition to end 'white conservative hiring', "Election 2017: The surprising and not-so surprising ways celebrities will be casting their ballots today", "Who are celebrities voting for in 2017 General Election? In an interview with New York Magazine, Ruffalo detailed his struggles after graduating high school. [45], 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. There, Frank started a new business called Soda Butler, a business reminiscent of the modern Soda Stream. In fact, given everything he's been through, it's a wonder that he isn't a total jerk. For example, he had dyslexia, which makes it a challenge for people to read text in spite of being of normal intelligence in other respects. Even after the tumor was removed, the resulting paralysis of the left side of Mark Ruffalo's face caused complications for the actor. He said that it also "became a blessing in disguise, as time progressed." Her response was you are crazy although she still proceeded to book him a CT scan. "The moment he left, I realized that death wasn't an escape, that suicide wasn't an answer." However, several weeks after the birth of his son and with the news of his diagnosis weighing heavy on his heart, Mark opened up to his wife and underwent surgery. In school, he often felt like the odd one out. Not that he wouldn't change things if he could. He was all set to begin working on M. Night Shyamalan's Signs (2002) when he had the premonition, and he went to the production's doctor for advice. To Ruffalo, acting became a way of coping and moving forward past the pain of his younger years. Though he wanted to return to acting, his doctors strongly advised him against it. However, he beat the odds after. At least, that's what the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office ruled. When he grew up and had his own family, Mark eventually moved from their upstate New York home back to New York City sohis children could go to a school with a good program for dyslexic studentsbecause he didn't want his children to go through the same struggles he experienced. Marshal Chuck Aule, the partner of Leonardo DiCaprio's character Teddy Daniels. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); Recovering from the rest of the post-surgery side effects took him away from acting, just when he was starting to gain momentum in the industry. at the Belasco Theatre in New York, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In one instance, he even dropped his son. READ MORE: Vitamin D deficiency symptoms: Feeling this sensation in your joints could be a sign. Terrorist Advisory List. This infuriated Penn's grieving loved ones, some of whom decided to confront the snapper. Net Worth "I was scheming things for my character," he admitted. Wow , , Mark Ruffalo, who is famous for his back, confided in the story of his life. "[40][41] In October, Ruffalo actively supported the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in their opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline project. But finally the paralysis did start to go. When paramedics arrived at the 39-year-old. Cookies help us deliver our Services. It was so heavy." From his role as Inspector David Toschi inZodiacto the Incredible Hulk inThe Avengers, Mark Ruffalo has made an acting career for himself filled with success and recognition. "There I was with one of my heroes, Robert Redford, doing this walk-and-talk. The surgery to remove the tumor, which was determined to be benign, led to a. Shyamalan agreed to consider the idea, but sadly, the pitch fell through when Ruffalo's doctors asserted he was in no condition to be acting. "My father told me that my heart had stopped briefly on the operating table," he explained. Ruffalo and his family call the . [42], Also in 2019, Ruffalo starred in and co-produced Dark Waters, which spotlighted another one of his environmental concerns with its true-life depiction of a corporate lawyer's relentless pursuit of justice to expose poisonous pollution by chemical behemoth DuPont. And she said, 'you are crazy, but you shouldn't have to live with that fear, so I'll order you an MRIor CAT scantomorrow.'". Its a long-running, low-grade depression all the time. For his work on stage, Ruffalo has been once nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in a 2006 production of the dramatic play Awake and Sing!. [68] While on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ruffalo endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president in 2020 United States presidential election, stating "you know when he gets in the office, he is going to be fighting for us". In pre-production at the time of Scott's death, the film was released in 2010. Mark L. Ruffalo, M.S.W., D.Psa., is a psychotherapist in private practice in Tampa, Florida, and serves as Instructor of Psychiatry at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and Adjunct Instructor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine. With perhaps the exception of detectiveDavid Toschi,Ruffalo has had more experience with death than the characters he's portrayed. Joaquin Phoenix took on the part instead. "[44] In 2021, he said it was "inflammatory" and "disrespectful" to suggest Israel is committing genocide. "Somehow this story came out about my being on this terrorist list," he told the newspaper. . [11], Ruffalo had minor roles in films including The Dentist (1996), the low-key crime comedy Safe Men (1998), and Ang Lee's Civil War western Ride with the Devil (1999). However, he beat the odds and after six months of paralysis, Mark was able to make very slight movements, signalling the beginning of a recovery that would still take several more months. He eventually figured things out when his family moved to Los Angeles. "He'd make a f***ing giant bowl of tuna pasta, and we'd eat off that all week long," Ruffalo recalled. He began acting in the early 1990s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan 's play This Is Our Youth (1998) and drama film You Can Count on Me (2000). Ruffalo's big break came at the turn of the millennium when he was cast in the critically acclaimed drama You Can Count on Me, the success of which led to a role alongside the legendary Robert Redford in 2001's The Last Castle. Ruffalo also kept the diagnosis secret from his wife, Sunrise Coginey who was pregnant with their first child at that time. "And everything changed. Not for the first time in his career, losing a role because of a tragedy turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as when Ruffalo returned to the fold he gained Academy recognition and a part in what would become the highest-grossing Hollywood franchise of all time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all within the space of a few years. Inspired, he signed on for the role of Paul, a man who is contacted by two children born to a lesbian couple who used his donated sperm. 2022 Galvanized Media. [emailprotected]. Ruffalo graduated from First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, where he acted for the Patriot Playhouse. According to a toxicology report obtained by Access Hollywood (via People), the 40-year-old had Valium, morphine, codeine and marijuana in his system when he passed, but the actual cause of death was complications arising from an enlarged heart, the coroner confirmed. When hate rises, it calls all of us to rise . It was successfully removed with surgery, but Ruffalo suffered from partial paralysis of his face for a . Because his wife was expecting their first child at the time of his diagnosis, he initially kept the news to himself, but several weeks after the birth of his son Keen, he underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Having recovered from partial facial paralysis caused by a benign brain tumor in 2002, and still affected by the death of his brother, Scott, in a shooting in late 2008, Mr. Ruffalo is more. "It was big-time," he told Men's Journal. All Rights Reserved. [69], Ruffalo signed a letter supporting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn describing 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. kWhen that ringing faded, Ruffalo realized that he'd lost all hearing in his left ear. He also would walk for miles each day. "Drugs, alcoholism, AIDS." Mark first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan's play This Is Our Youth (1998) and drama film You Can Count On Me (2000). In May of 2017, heteamed up with the Child Mind Institute to participate in their #MyYoungerSelf initiative, through which celebrities talked about what they would have told their younger selves as they lived with a mental health or learning disorder. Outside his acting career, Ruffalo has spoken out onhumanitarianandenvironmentalissues, among others. Mark had actually dreamt about his life-threatening condition before being diagnosed with it. In fact, things went downhill pretty fast. It's like a low-grade depression that just is running all the time in the background.". Mark Ruffalois an American actor and film producer who has starred in numerous films and television series. [32] He claimed in the December 2010 issue of GQ that after he organized screenings in Pennsylvania of a documentary about natural-gas-drilling called Gasland, he was placed on a terror advisory list. "The chances of the nerves coming back diminish each month and month seven was pretty much the cut-off point. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); "When he died, it rocked me out of a dark depression," he recalled. According to the New York Post, the suicide of his longtime bestie Michael taught Ruffalo "the value of life" and made him all the more determined to make it as an actor. [27] He says he has had an outpouring of support for his performance: I've never had so sincere and vulnerable a response from people for anything that I've ever done. Before surgery he was told he had an 80 percent chance of losing the hearing in his left ear and 20 percent chance of losing his facial nerve. At the time, Mark had just graduated from high school; in several interviews, he's recalled that the family was living in a neighborhood where drugs like meth were commonly sold. MBC A retelling of his life in He failed several times in the audition and went through tremendous suffering such as being judged for a brain tumor, facial paralysis, and deafness. All of the reasons why stars are definitely not like us. "He didn't tell anyone for weeks," his motherrecalled. "I was praying and bargaining with God I said, 'please, don't take my face and don't take my life because without my face I can't really support my family, and with my life I definitely can't support my family." Ruffalo also explained that he underwent various therapies to help alleviate the paralysis, including acupuncture, herbal therapy, massage, and other forms of alternative medicines in conjunction with his prescribed regimen. It led to other significant roles, including the films XX/XY (2002), Isabel Coixet's My Life Without Me, John Woo's Windtalkers (2003), Jane Campion's In the Cut (2003), Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004), which is based on two short stories written by Andre Dubus. The way the world looked to me changed.". [1], In the mid-2000s, Ruffalo appeared as a romantic lead in View From the Top (2002), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Just Like Heaven (2005) and Rumor Has It (2005). He was also confused and had difficulty understanding concepts such as tying a knot. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. "I've been struggling with that my whole life. In the '90s, The Avengers star made notable appearances in playwright Kenneth Lonergan's plays. Just saying, 'Hey, this is who I am.'"