Veteran actor Mark Ruffalo has been cast to play director Spike Lee in “Bowl of Milk,” an upcoming movie about the 88th Academy Awards and the controversy sparked by Lee’s public condemnation of the choice of nominees for acting awards.
Director Ron Howard says that Ruffalo, 48, was chosen for his ability to tackle challenging roles.
“Mark is just really good at stepping into the shoes of outsiders, deviants and misfits and showing them in all their weird complexity,” Howard said.
Ruffalo played a recovering sex addict in the 2010 movie “Thanks for Sharing” and a struggling bipolar father in the 2014 movie “Infinitely Polar Bear,” two roles that have prepared him to embody Lee.
While Lee is a widely respected filmmaker whose movies tackle serious social issues, he is often described as having a stubborn character and being prone to fits of righteous indignation.
Even though “Bowl of Milk” is only in pre-production, Hollywood insiders are saying that Ruffalo’s performance will be phenomenal and will likely earn him a nomination for best actor in next year’s Oscars.