Ruffalo, Toschi, pot-bellies

Mark Ruffalo portrays real-life San Francisco detective Dave Toschi in Zodiac (Paramount, 3.2), and obviously bears a certain resemblance to the real guy in his prime. But one thing an actor playing a cop in a big-studio movie can never have is a little funny-looking pot belly, like the real Toschi had.


Mark Ruffalo (l.) in Zodiac; Dave Toschi in the '70s or early '80s.

Zodiac director David Fincher was a major hard-core accuracy freak in 10,000 different ways when he planned and shot this awesome film, but no director would dare suggest that a "name" actor wear a prosthetic pot gut, and no actor would stand for it.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 21, 2007 at 3:34 PM

comment #1

Geoff Author Profile Page says ...

I swear I was waiting for this. I thought the same thing when i went to look up pictures of the real Toschi.

Posted by Geoff Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 3:56 PM

comment #2

kammy Author Profile Page says ...

If Penelope Cruz can wear a prosthetic hip in "Volver", why can't Ruffalo wear a prosthetic pot-belly in "Zodiac"?

Posted by kammy Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 4:23 PM

comment #3

whitemanbrother Author Profile Page says ...

It seemed Depp really owned his fake-belly in "Blow".

Posted by whitemanbrother Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 4:25 PM

comment #4

Jason Author Profile Page says ...

Ease up on your maxims; Bruce Willis sported a bogus belly in 16 Blocks, and he's a much bigger name than Mark Ruffalo.

Posted by Jason Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 5:00 PM

comment #5

corey3rd Author Profile Page says ...

what about the fatty bowtie? Does Mark swing it?

Posted by corey3rd Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 6:21 PM

comment #6

rocco Author Profile Page says ...

Ease off the absinthe Jeff.

Posted by rocco Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 6:29 PM

comment #7

L.B. Author Profile Page says ...

Pot belly? It's as if he didn't know he was going to be played by a Hollywood B-lister one day. No wonder he never caught the guy. Pot belly. Gimme a break.

Posted by L.B. Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 6:34 PM

comment #8

RoyBatty Author Profile Page says ...

Notice the film is called ZODIAC and not TOSCHI. Every shot I've seen shows Ruffalo wearing that coat or sitting behind a desk.

And if Ruffalo wasn't, as LB has rightly pointed out, a B-lister who probably doesn't care one way or the other there would be the distraction factor if Toschi was being played by an actual "name."

Remember Stallone in COPLAND? How he gained all that weight? There was a shot of him getting out of bed early in the film, with his belly hanging out. But the director realized that when everyone saw it, they were no longer following the movie but watching a porn film called "See Sly's Gut" and wisely (and correctly) cut it.

Good lord what an asinine argument is being made here. There's a huge difference between keeping period details that many people might notice right and the details about an almost unheard of historical figure.

Posted by RoyBatty Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 6:57 PM

comment #9

Stephe96 Author Profile Page says ...


DeNiro famously gained weight for "Raging Bull."

Tom Hanks had a big gut for the first half of "Cast Away."

But a big name like, er, Mark Ruffalo? Not a chance...

Posted by Stephe96 Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 7:34 PM

comment #10

renorambler Author Profile Page says ...

All this being said I can't wait to see what Ruffalo does with this part. Fincher is consistently great in my book.

Posted by renorambler Author Profile Page at February 21, 2007 7:49 PM

comment #11

hiviper Author Profile Page says ...

Speaking of big guts, is Chapter 27 going straight to video or what?

Posted by hiviper Author Profile Page at February 22, 2007 12:09 AM

comment #12

futureman Author Profile Page says ...

Ruffalo does wear that fat tie in the movie, and he's the 2nd lead of the movie so he isn't just sitting behind a desk. Mulroney's the one who gets a gut for his role.

Posted by futureman Author Profile Page at February 22, 2007 1:58 AM

comment #13

DavidF Author Profile Page says ...

It's a pot belly.
Who cares?
Besides, Val Kilmer's late-Morrison pot belly in The Doors is the platonic ideal.

Posted by DavidF Author Profile Page at February 22, 2007 9:35 AM

comment #14

corey3rd Author Profile Page says ...

Sen Paul Simon is going to be all about seeing that bowtie action on the big screen. That Bowtie is going to look bigger than Mothra at the Starlite Drive In.

Posted by corey3rd Author Profile Page at February 22, 2007 12:13 PM

comment #15

Geoff Author Profile Page says ...

Johnny Depp in Blow is the best counter example you guys have come up with and even then, it's because his character is such a loser at that point that it just makes sense. The Tom Hanks character in Cast Away is different because the weight issue was a big part of the movie. Bruce willis in 16 Blocks was a crooked washed out cop and it fit. But Ruffalo is supposed to play a cool, proficient cop, and the belly would just distract the audience and would be kind of pointless. I mean, if you are going to strive for that kind of realism then you might as well not cast Jake Gyllenhaal because he's too good looking. From a Hollywood big picture standpoint, it really is a whole different situation when comparing these other roles where the character actually calls for it.

Posted by Geoff Author Profile Page at February 22, 2007 11:39 PM

comment #16

MASON Author Profile Page says ...

Variety and the Reporter just ran their reviews -- absolute raves from both.

Posted by MASON Author Profile Page at February 23, 2007 8:23 AM

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