She believed in him when he had nothing

Pusp L.

 

A humanist too Sat

She believed in him when he had nothing. He became everything because she never let go.

He didn’t have a car, he didn’t have a credit card, and he was living in a converted garage. He was essentially a "starving artist" in the truest sense. This was the reality for Mark Ruffalo in the late 1990s, long before he became a household name or the face of a Marvel superhero. While most people in Hollywood are looking for the next big star with a fat bank account, Sunrise Coigney saw something different in the man who had nothing.

Mark and Sunrise met on a street corner in Los Angeles in 1998. At that time, Mark was struggling just to get an audition, let alone a paycheck. He was a young man with big dreams but very little evidence that they would ever come true. Most women might have seen a guy living in a garage as a "red flag," but Sunrise saw a soul. Mark has always been open about how much she risked by betting on him.

He once said, "I was living in a garage, and she was the one who said, 'I know you’re an actor, and I know you’re going to be great.' She believed in me more than I believed in myself." Their connection was so strong that Mark decided to propose quite early, but the road to marriage wasn't a straight line. The first time he asked Sunrise to marry him, she actually said no. She wanted to make sure they were ready for the commitment.

Mark didn't give up; he kept working on his craft and his character. Eventually, he proposed a second time, and she said yes. They officially tied the knot in June 2000. Just as they were starting their life together, and just as Mark finally got a big break in the movie You Can Count on Me, a nightmare began that would test their brand-new marriage to the limit.

In 2001, right after the birth of their first son, Keen, Mark found out he had a brain tumor. It was a terrifying diagnosis. He was so scared for his family that he kept the news a secret from Sunrise for weeks because he didn't want to ruin the joy of their new baby. When he finally broke the news, Sunrise didn't fall apart. She became his protector.

The surgery to remove the tumor left Mark with a paralyzed face and complete deafness in one ear for a long time. He felt like his career was over before it really started. During those dark months of recovery, Sunrise was his rock. She stayed by his side, helping him heal and keeping their family together while he hid away from the world.

As Mark slowly recovered and his career exploded into superstardom, the couple grew their family, adding two daughters, Bella Noche and Odette. Instead of staying in the middle of the Hollywood party scene, they made a choice to protect their peace. They moved to a farm in upstate New York to give their children a normal life.

Sunrise, who had her own acting career, decided to step back from the industry to focus on their kids and her own business. Mark is the first person to tell anyone that he couldn't do his job without her support. He often says, "The woman I am married to is a hero. She’s the one who keeps it all together while I’m off being a pretend hero."

Today, after 24 years of marriage, they are still one of the most solid couples in show business. They survived poverty, a life-threatening illness, and the intense pressure of global fame without ever letting go of each other's hands.

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