His staunchest ally. Dating back to the late 1990s, the relationship between Mark Ruffalo and his wife, Sunrise Coigney, has only grown stronger over time.
They crossed paths in 1998 while strolling around Los Angeles with a known acquaintance, who the Avengers actor thought might have a thing for Coigney.
“I don’t think he wanted us to meet,” he recalled Men Journal of meeting his wife in May 2013. “But I saw her and thought, ‘I’m going to marry that girl.'”
Ruffalo was a struggling actor living in a converted garage at the time of their first meeting, and he didn’t have a driver’s license or a credit card. The Louisiana native was confident in her future partner’s abilities despite his lack of success.
“She said, ‘I know you’re a really good actor,’ and I thought, ‘You haven’t really seen me act yet.’ And she was like, ‘I just know, I can tell,'” he recalled in the 2013 interview.
The couple got married in 2000 after two years of dating. After a year of marriage, the 13 Going on 30 actor was diagnosed with a brain tumor that necessitated surgery. Coigney was then expecting their first child.
“When these things happen, you kind of remember your religion,” Ruffalo opened up about his health scare against the Acoustic Neuroma Association in 2013. “I was praying and negotiating with God… I said, ‘Please don’t take my face and don’t take my life, because without my face I can’t really support my family, and [without] my life, I absolutely cannot support my family.’”
The procedure was successful and the couple gave birth to their son Keen in 2001. Bella and Odette, daughters of Ruffalo and Coigney, were added to the family in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
Ruffalo told Us Weekly that as his kids got older, they thought his career was “cool,” but that didn’t turn into parental responsibilities.
“They say, ‘You’re not that cool,'” the Spotlight actor said in 2015. I want to see you angry.’ That’s what they say to me. ‘I’m going to make you angry.’”
Two decades after they got married, the She-Hulk star penned a touching tribute to his wife and mother of his three children. “To my hero. Always keep everything together, ” Ruffalo wrote via Instagram in May 2020. “A fierce advocate for her children, always to the point no matter how hard things get. Happy Mother’s Day, Sunny. It’s not easy being a mom and one day a year isn’t enough to celebrate how much work it is and how thankful we should be. We love you, SunnyMom. Thank you for everything you do. Happy mothersday.”
When Ruffalo nearly won a Golden Globe the following year for his performance in the miniseries I Know This Much is True, his family was by his side. The Marvel actor honored his family during his statement.
“[They] let me go and bring these crazy people home and they have to live with it [them] all these years,” Ruffalo gushed. “Thanks guys.”
Scroll down for a timeline of Ruffalo and Coigney’s relationship:
Table of Contents
1998
During a walk in Los Angeles, Ruffalo and Coigney accidentally bumped into each other. After meeting the 100 Center Street actress, Ruffalo was convinced he was going to “marry that girl.”
June 2000
They got married after two years of dating.
June 2001
They welcomed their first child, son Keen, into the world a year after their marriage.
May 2005
Ruffalo and Coigney welcomed their daughter Bella.
October 2007
The couple completed their family when they welcomed daughter Odette as their third child.
September 2014
During the Toronto International Film Festival, the Now You See Me actor posted a charming selfie of him and his wife.
‘Me and my queen. #TIFF14,” he captioned the photo.
January 2016
Ruffalo and his wife snapped a nice picture of themselves on a short walk in the snow.
“With the misses taking a walk in a blizzard,” he wrote.
November 2017
He took the opportunity to express his gratitude to his partner on the Dark Water actor’s birthday.
“Thanks for such a great birthday, partner,” he wrote via Instagram. “You are my greatest gift. Love for life.”
February 2019
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Ruffalo uploaded a photo of herself and the creator of Sunny’s Pop.
“My Sweet Valentine, @sunnyspop_retail 💕,” he captioned the photo.
February 2020
The two took a selfie in the car before hitting the red carpet at the Oscars.
“On the way 😊 #Oscars,” Ruffalo wrote.
March 2021
Coigney and their three children were by Ruffalo’s side as he accepted his award from their living room as the Golden Globes went virtual. He thanked his family in his speech for their love and support throughout his professional life.
“[They] let me go and bring these crazy people home and they have to live with it [them] all these years,” he sobbed. “Thanks guys.”.
September 2021
On his Instagram pageRuffalo wrote a heartfelt tribute to Coigney in honor of his wife’s birthday.
“Happy birthday my friend, partner, lover. I am so grateful to you,” he sobbed. “It was an honor to know you and be with you [through] the years of our lives, you become more beautiful, remarkable and exciting with every turn of our world. HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!”
