Before They Were Stars: Mark Ruffalo in “54”

Now that the nominations for the 87th Academy Awards have been announced, it’s time for an annual tradition here at The Back Row: “Before They Were Stars” clips for this year’s nominees! Mark Ruffalo has garnered his second career Oscar nomination for his performance in Foxcatcher. Believe it or not, back in 1998, there was a genuine attempt to create Oscar buzz for Mike Myers, who delivered a more serious performance than usual in 54, a drama chronicling the rise and fall of New York City’s Studio 54. The film turned out to be nothing more than a forgettable disappointment, but it did provide an early role for Mark Ruffalo. You can see Ruffalo in the background of this scene as one of Ryan Phillippe’s friends, sporting long hair and a pornstache.