Mark Ruffalo Reflects on the Regrets and Joys of Aging, Being Called a 'Daddy'

"I went to bed a leading man and woke up a character actor."

Mark Ruffalo is getting ready to compete for his fourth Oscar nomination, this time for playing an over-the-top villain in the Emma Stone-led Poor Things. At 56 years old, he's looking at life a little differently than he used to.

In a new interview with GQ, Ruffalo reflected on aging in Hollywood, explaining that it's a bittersweet feeling watching certain experiences slip away from him, while also getting to experience new things.

“I’ll never play Romeo, or Hamlet. I’ll never surf pipeline. You get to 56 and moments are more lived-in, more precious.” he told the magazine. “I’m aging, my back hurts. People call me ‘Sir’ now. When did that happen? I went to bed a leading man and woke up a character actor. I’m a ‘daddy’ now.”

Related: Why Mark Ruffalo Kept His Brain Tumor a Secret From His Wife

At the same time, Ruffalo said that getting older has allowed him to embrace new experiences. Case in point: his out-of-character villainous role in Poor Things, which could land him the first Academy Award of his career. 

“I feel like I totally broke free,” Ruffalo said of the role. “I’m gonna push this as far as I can.”

For an actor who once battled a life-threatening brain tumor, aging is a gift, even if it's one that's changing his own self-perception.