Here's How Mark Ruffalo Gained 30 Pounds for His New TV Role

Temi Adebowale

January 22, 2020 6:12 PM

How Mark Ruffalo Gained 30 Pounds for HBO TV Role

Mark Ruffalo is set to star in a new HBO miniseries.
Titled I Know This Much Is True, the series follows identical twins Thomas and Domenick.
Ruffalo plays both twins, but he had to gain weight to play Thomas.

Mark Ruffalo has spent much of the last decade playing The Hulk in the MCU, but his newest role in I Know This Much Is True required a totally new set of skills. The HBO miniseries features Ruffalo as identical twins Thomas and Dominick, but the two brothers live different lives, and Thomas is schizophrenic and bigger than his brother.

In order to play Thomas, Ruffalo needed to gain 30 pounds, and he didn't want to settle for a fat suit or prosthetics. During an recent appearance at the TV Critics Association Winter Press Tour , Ruffalo outlined his weight gain process for the series: "We didn't want it to be like I run and throw a wig on and do the same scene in the same day, so we took six weeks off to really separate these two guys. And Thomas is on medication, mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics. A lot of people put on weight."

The actor continued, "Putting on the weight for Thomas was really challenging. I didn't expect it to be. I thought I was going to have a fun time doing that, but when you're force-feeding yourself, some of the romance of food sort of leaves."

I Know This Much Is True will premiere on HBO in April , and the miniseries is based on the novel of the same name by Wally Lamb.

Temi Adebowale

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!