Entertainment

Mark Ruffalo Still Gave an Acceptance Speech

by Kate Ward

So Mark Ruffalo wasn't at the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards. How do we know this? Not only because presenter Jared Leto pointed out the actor was a "no-show" following Ruffalo's SAG win for The Normal Heart , but also because his absence became something of an obsession for everyone who did attend the awards. (Yet, they remained worryingly nonchalant about red carpet VIP Ryan Seacrest's absence.) First, SAG president Ken Howard requested the audience give Ruffalo an additional moment of applause following his win, then, Normal Heart co-star Julia Roberts gave the actor a shout-out, saying she was "tickled" by his win.

Following both moments, we're left with just two questions. The first: Where exactly was Ruffalo? And the second: Exactly why was everyone so, well, ruffled by Ruffalo's SAG honor?

It's much easier to answer the first than the second. Roberts hinted about the East Coast's "nor'easter" as a reason for his absence, and his own Twitter noted that he was headed to bed early for work — meaning Ruffalo is far away from Los Angeles. Though, presuming he's filming the Now You See Me sequel, he would be shooting in London, not the blizzard-affected New York. And an 8AM work start time sounds a lot more feasible than a 2am start time:

But why are the 2015 SAGs obsessed with Ruffalo? That's a little bit more of a mystery, beyond the obvious fact that the actor is a good one, and someone who made a dent in the pop culture universe with not only The Normal Heart but also Foxcatcher.

But, there's good news for those who feel as though Ruffalo should have been able to accept his award. Shortly after going to bed, Ruffalo tweeted his children woke him up to tell him about his Screen Actors Guild win...

...and preceded to give his acceptance speech, 140 characters at a time. And made everyone realize, in the process, just who should have been the center of attention tonight. (Hint: Not Ruffalo.)

Directing attention towards raising AIDS awareness during a glitzy Hollywood night. Another round of applause for Ruffalo, everyone.