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Mark Ruffalo at the Tribeca Film Festival© Getty

Mark Ruffalo's heartbreak: inside famous brother's tragic unsolved murder

Poor Things actor Mark Ruffalo's younger brother Scott Ruffalo was murdered in 2008

Megan Bull
TV Writer
Updated: March 10, 2024
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Mark Ruffalo was faced with a heartbreaking family tragedy in 2008. The actor, revered for his performances in Poor Things - for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, and All The Light We Cannot See, learned that his beloved brother and hairstylist, Scott Ruffalo, had been murdered. To this day, the case remains unsolved.

Mark Ruffalo with his late brother, Scott Ruffalo© Getty
Mark Ruffalo with his late brother, Scott Ruffalo

Speaking to Men's Journal in 2017, Mark, 55, opened up about the unimaginable loss of his younger brother, telling the publication: "You never get over it; you just get used to it. You get calloused, a little bit harder maybe, so be on guard for that. But take these tragic things and turn them into something meaningful and worthy of the loss. Make it count."

Mark Ruffalo and his brother Scott at a store opening© Getty
Scott was 39 at the time of his death

Scott Ruffalo was 39 when he was shot in the head at his condo in Beverly Hills, on December 1 2008. Reports have characterized the shooting as "execution style." 

Following the shooting, the well-known hairdresser, who had worked at salons in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, was transported to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Beverly Hills Police Sergeant, Renato Moreno.

Sadly, Scott succumbed to his injuries a week later. At the time, two people were arrested in connection with the shooting, however, no one has ever been charged. One of the key witnesses in the case was later reported to have died of a drug overdose.

In an interview with ABCNews.com, Scott's attorney James Leger, spoke highly of his former client, stating: "He was a guy who really wanted to do things right, as far as I was concerned. He is one of the easiest clients I have. He's 100 percent above board and would go overboard to make sure everything is done right."

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Mark has also opened up about his close relationship with his brother Scott, whom he described as a "beautiful guy". 

Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right© Sky
Mark starred in The Kids Are All Right to honor his brother

Speaking about how loved the 39-year-old was, Mark told Men's Journal: "I was the actor pushing 30 and still doing 30-seat theaters, and he was the mayor of Beverly Hills. For years, people would meet me and go, 'You're Scotty Ruffalo's brother? I love your brother. He's [expletive] amazing.'"

In the period that followed Scott's death, Mark was handed the script to The Kids Are All Right, and after noting the similarities between the character of Paul, and his late brother, the actor took on the role to pay homage to his sibling. "His charm, his spirit, his sense of humor, his daring. How great he was with women. How he sort of devoured life. I'm only capturing a tiny glimpse of him," said Mark. "But I think it ended up honoring him in a really nice way. He’s a beautiful guy. He was a beautiful guy." 

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