With "Dark Waters", Mark Ruffalo proclaims his "ecological activism"

The incredible Hulk is even greener than it looks. It is Mark Ruffalo himself, the interpreter of Bruce Banner and his superheroic double, who is at the origin of Todd Haynes "Dark Waters", exciting biopic inspired by a true story: the fight of lawyer Robert Bilott against an ultra-polluting industrial group.

The 52-year-old actor and co-producer, who has illustrated himself in six Marvel films, but also “Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind”, “Zodiac” or “Spotlight”, talks to us about this very personal film.

When did you decide to make a film about the story of Robert Bilott?

MARK RUFFALO . Three years ago, I read an article on the subject. At that time, I wanted to produce more films and I especially wanted my ecological activism to be reflected in my feature films. Cinema is a very powerful way to reach people.

"Dark Waters" is the story of an ordinary man who becomes a hero ...

Absolutely. In a world where, when you turn on the TV, you see that if you lie, if you steal, if you are a selfish son of p… then you become president of the United States, I wanted to tell the story of this man who gives up his whole life for the common good. I wanted to thwart the ambient cynicism with this much more satisfying and powerful destiny.

Newsletter - The essentials of the news

I'm registering

Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more

Like "Spotlight", inspired by revelations on sexual abuse in the Church, is "Dark Waters" a public service film?

In a way. I also worked with the same production company and I quickly understood that we wanted to make a feature film in the same vein as "Spotlight".

When and why did you become an environmental activist?

It came when I was little. I lived near Lake Michigan (Editor's note: in the United States) and I spent my days in the trees and coves. I must have been 6 or 7 years old when I asked why the fish were deformed. My grandmother explained to me that animals develop cancerous tumors due to pollution. Over the years, there have been laws that have regulated the dumping of litter in the lake and little by little, the fish have become healthy again. So I said to myself that there was something we could do to avoid recklessly and unnecessarily destroying nature ... Provided we gave ourselves the means.

For ten years, you have founded two environmental associations, Water Defense and The Solutions Project. Does it take you a long time?

Yes, sometimes more than cinema! I take care of strategy, fundraising, awareness-raising actions. And then I try to convert the people in my industry.

Is Hollywood green enough?

Yes, if you compare with other industries, Hollywood is pretty far ahead. On the trays, we use less plastic, less fuel, recycling has become an important issue ...

Including on the set of "Avengers"?

Yes, these are probably the greenest shoots I have participated in. Behind the scenes, there is always someone responsible for making the logistics “greener”.

How would you describe Donald Trump's environmental policy?

It is appalling. Trump even goes backwards on the environmental standards set by the Republicans. He is clearly an agent in the chemical, pharmaceutical and fossil fuel industries. He is anything but a populist: he doesn't really care about people, the only thing that interests him is money… It will kill us.

When you play Hulk, is it the same job as when you make a film like "Dark Waters"?

In a way… The Marvel's are also about Good and Evil. "Dark Waters" is a more "everyday" version of the Marvel.

You played in six Marvel's, as your contract called for. Will you play Hulk anyway?

Maybe I do not know. In any case, I love the team and I was able to develop this character, who is never identical from one film to another.

EDITOR'S NOTE: 4/5

"Dark Waters" , an American biopic by Todd Haynes. With Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins… 2h08.