Mark Ruffalo Flirts With Politics: 'People in America Are Suffering'

Mark Ruffalo, the actor celebrated for his political activism, isn’t dismissing the idea of running for office in the future.

“It isn’t on my game card right now, but who knows. I mean, you never say never,” Ruffalo, 58, told Us Weekly on Friday, January 9, while attending the All the President’s Men benefit reading for the Stella Adler Foundation.

Ruffalo, known for his passion for social issues, emphasized the importance of political engagement. “I mean, I spent a lot of time in that world, and acting — it’s for the people. So, I love the people and politicians could be doing something good for the people.”

He expressed admiration for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who made history by being the first major U.S. politician to take an oath of office on a Quran. “Seeing Mamdani’s win in New York has really excited me about what’s possible in the United States right now,” Ruffalo said, challenging the notion that meaningful change is difficult or costly.

“It’s b-------,” he continued. “And the people in America are suffering. If the people in America weren’t suffering, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. You know, it’s a failure on both parties. They become completely captured by corporations, both parties. And it’s time for a new America that is for the working people who were the plurality of this country.”

Ruffalo has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, frequently advocating for various causes. In 2017, during Trump’s inauguration, Ruffalo joined a protest outside Trump’s New York City hotel alongside fellow stars and activists.

“Mark Ruffalo, Alec Baldwin & myself will be holding a massive rally in NYC in front of Trump International Hotel this Thursday, 6 pm! Come!” filmmaker Michael Moore announced on Twitter at the time. He later shared a retweet with an NBC News article detailing other notable participants in the protest, including then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Reverend Al Sharpton.

Since then, Ruffalo has continued to speak out on pressing issues such as the war in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the October 7 terrorist attacks, immigration and more.

While Ruffalo stays coy about his potential political ambitions, he is enjoying the recent HBO hit The Pitt, just like many others. “I am a huge fan of The Pitt!” he shared with the news outlet, appreciating how the show portrays emergency personnel as “our heroes.”

“You know, we just came out of Covid. These people are our heroes,” he stated, acknowledging their critical role, despite the hardships they face. “They’re our frontline fighters. They literally make nothing doing that job. It’s so exciting. Like, you’re going to be a soldier, you’re going to work as a paramedic, you’re going to work in the E.R., or you’re going to be a journalist — those are all really exciting things. As a kid, those would be the things that I’d want to do.”

Ruffalo lauded the show’s creator, saying, “Noah Wyle is just a great talent and a beautiful guy, and the writing’s great, and it has a pulse but it has a heart, too. That’s what I want — a heart and a pulse.”