Mark Ruffalo Prevented a Brawl,Pulled Woody Harrelson From Escalating Bar Altercation During ’now You See Me’ Filming
New Orleans – Mark Ruffalo intervened to prevent a potentially “disastrous” bar fight involving co-star Woody Harrelson during the 2013 filming of the hit movie “Now You See Me,” Ruffalo revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. The incident occurred after filming wrapped for the day, highlighting the unpredictable nature of shooting on location and the protective instincts between cast members.
The incident underscores the often-chaotic surroundings of on-location filmmaking and the unexpected challenges actors face outside of scripted scenes. Ruffalo’s fast thinking averted a situation that could have resulted in serious injury or legal repercussions for Harrelson and their entourage. The story resurfaced as anticipation builds for the next installment in the franchise, “Now You see Me: Now You Don’t,” scheduled for release November 14.
According to Ruffalo, he and Ted Danson were enjoying a drink at a crowded bar when a fan approached Harrelson, expressing her admiration. Harrelson responded politely, touching her arm and saying, “Oh, thank you. Thank you, darling.” A man then aggressively pushed the fan aside and shoved Harrelson.
“Woody’s first response is not ‘shove someone back,’ but ‘immediately punch them in the face,'” ruffalo explained. “Which is the right thing to do, by the way. It’s the absolute right thing to do.” However,before Harrelson could react,a full-scale melee erupted.Recognizing the potential for the situation to spiral out of control, Ruffalo physically pulled Harrelson out of the bar.
“I grabbed [Woody] and I pulled him out,” Ruffalo continued. “Because I was like, ‘This could be fun, but it also just could go so disastrously wrong because you and I might be able to handle ourselves but the rest of the folks we were with… I don’t think so.'”
“Now You See Me,” which also starred Jesse Eisenberg, Mélanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman, grossed $351 million worldwide and launched a accomplished franchise, including 2016’s “Now You See Me 2.” Ruffalo detailed the story in an interview on the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast.
