Mark Ruffalo Confesses to a 13-Year Crime While Promoting His New Movie

Mark Ruffalo is out promoting Crime 101, where he plays a detective chasing Chris Hemsworth's jewel thief. While making the rounds with Hemsworth (and Halle Berry joining the fun), he casually owned up to a long-running mess from his younger days that made me do a double take.

The 13-year thing he absolutely should not have done

In a recent interview, Ruffalo said he spent more than a decade driving around Los Angeles with a suspended license while a bench warrant hung over his head. His strategy for not getting caught? Become a model citizen behind the wheel.

'I drove illegally in LA for like 13 years on a suspended driver's license with a bench warrant out for my arrest.'

'I became the best driver in LA. I never broke a law because I was too afraid I'd get busted.'

How he finally dug himself out

Enter Sunrise Coigney. When she found out about the warrant and the suspended license, she broke up with him. That shock did the trick. Ruffalo went to court, pled his case, got the fines cut down, paid what he owed, and got his life together. Also: he kept the girl.

'I went in front of the judge, I was like, "I'm an actor, I'm really depressed." And he, like, gave me pennies on the dollar. And I paid all of it back... and I kept my wife.'

About Crime 101

• Release: Theatrical on February 13, 2026.
• Premise: Ruffalo plays a cop tracking a slick jewel thief played by Chris Hemsworth.
• Team behind it: Written and directed by Bart Layton, adapted from Don Winslow's 2020 novella.
• Cast: Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte.
• Producers: Hemsworth produces alongside Layton.
• Fun note: This is Ruffalo and Hemsworth's first time working together outside the MCU.

Not exactly the background you expect to hear while he's playing the straight-arrow detective, but hey, at least the guy learned from it. And apparently became an excellent driver in the process.