Ever since his breakout role in the 2000 indie family drama, You Can Count on Me, Mark Ruffalo has been a Hollywood favorite. Over the course of his 20-plus year career, the Academy Award-nominated actor has proven his talents apply to any movie genre, from romantic comedies and hard-hitting drams to a slew of Marvel movies as Dr. Banner and the Hulk. But if you ask Ruffalo what’s behind all his success, he’ll tell you without hesitation that it’s his better half of over 20 years, Sunrise Coigney. Here’s the inside scoop on Mark Ruffalo’s wife and the beautiful bond they share.
Mark Ruffalo And Sunrise Coigney Have Been Married Since 2000
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Sunrise Coigney (who also goes by Sunny) met Mark Ruffalo in 1998 when he was struggling, out-of-work actor. According to an article in Men’s Journal, they crossed paths completely randomly, meeting on the street in L.A. “I saw her and was like, ‘I’m going to marry that girl,’” the Shutter Island star told the magazine.
The couple got married two years later, just as Ruffalo’s career was starting to take off. While many marriages hit roadblocks when there’s a big shift like this, Ruffalo and Coigney’s relationship only thrived. Their first child, a son named Keen, was born in 2001. They had daughter Bella in 2005 and daughter Odette in 2007.
Ruffalo Calls His Wife “A Hero”
The fact that this Hollywood couple has been together for more than 20 years is a clear sign of their love dedication to each other. Ruffalo says he’ll always be grateful to his wife for always believing in him, even when he was struggling and ready to give up his dream of being an actor. “I was living in a dump and didn’t even have a driver’s license or a credit card,” Ruffalo said in a 2014 interview with Closer Weekly. “She thought I was a mess … but she believed in me and kept encouraging me. I don’t know if I would have made it without her.”
Ruffalo also recognizes the fact that his wife does all the heavy lifting when it comes to taking care of their kids, which is what allows him to have the career that he does. And when he does have the opportunity to help out, he’s even more grateful for what he wife deals with every day. “It’s intense. The times when my wife is gone and I’ve had to take care of everything . . . the laundry alone is enough to destroy you,” the actor joked in a 2019 interview with People magazine.
Clearly, Ruffalo loves having Sunrise by his side. The Spotlight actor has described her as a “hero” numerous times, including in his 2019 People interview and in a sweet Instagram post dedicated to his wife in honor of Mother’s Day.
“To My Hero. Always holding it all together,” Ruffalo wrote. “A fierce advocate for her kids, always on point no matter how tough it gets. Happy Mother’s Day, Sunny. It isn’t easy being a Mom and one day a year isn’t close to enough to celebrate how much work it is and how grateful we should be. We love you, SunnyMom. Thank you for all you do. Happy Mother’s Day.”