10 Best Mark Ruffalo Performances

10. Dave Toschi - Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher's stylish crime thriller is boosted to greatest by its brilliant lead performances. Jake Gyllenhaal leads the ensemble as cartoonist Robert Graysmith, and is aided by Robert Downey Jr's turn as complex journalist Paul Avery and Mark Ruffalo's performance as lead Zodiac detective Dave Toschi.

Ruffalo has a knack for playing real-life people in daring and passionate dramas, and Zodiac is one of the actor's earliest attempts at bringing someone real to life on screen. Dave Toschi himself is said to have been a big fan of the film, watching it numerous times and praising Ruffalo's performance.

As Toschi, Ruffalo is intense, obsessed, impassioned and frustrated. As the film escalates and the case begins to slip away from our protagonists, Toschi begins to feel the weight of the murders, and struggles to come to terms with the lack of results. Ruffalo perfectly balances the humour, bravery and flaws of Toschi, capturing the anger and complexities of the Zodiac case with both understanding and respect.