Mark Ruffalo may be known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he is equally as beloved for playing Matty Flamhaff in the iconic rom-com 13 Going on 30. But the actor almost didn’t star in the movie when the thought of quitting crossed his mind. Luckily, he didn’t do that, and it was thanks to fellow co-star Jennifer Garner.
Back in March, Mark and Jennifer were promoting their Netflix movie The Adam Project. During a conversation on the ReelBlend podcast, host Kevin McCarthy brought up a memorable moment from 13 Going on 30 — when Jennifer’s character Jenna and Matty began a flash mob to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Despite the scene looking flawless on camera, Mark revealed the prepping almost caused him to quit the movie altogether.
“Whatever Matty was experiencing in that was actually just me,” he said on the podcast. “[Jennifer Garner] had to drag me onto the dance floor. It took me six hours to learn what she learned in about six minutes. She was so good at dancing, and I was so bad … I almost quit the movie.“
But there was more to the story. According to Jennifer, Mark was not prepared to shoot the scene oncamera. This led to her (and possibly production) attempting to convince him to finish what he had started.
“We had to talk him into staying,” she continued. “We had done all this rehearsal, and then we finally rehearsed the dance and he was just like, ‘This isn’t for me. I’m not doing it. I hate this.'”
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Thankfully, longtime fans never got to see what 13 Going on 30 would’ve been without Mark’s presence.
He eventually got out of his comfort zone (ironic, considering the character he portrayed) and added his charm to one of the most beloved scenes in the movie.
Even if there isn’t a chance we’ll see Jennifer and Mark recreate their dance, the two have found ways to stay in touch. While the two did initially drift apart post-filming, they have since starred together in The Adam Project.
So, there’s still a good chance we’ll see them together again in the future.
Adrianna Freedman is the Editorial Assistant, Entertainment and News at Good Housekeeping, writing about everything TV, movies, music and celebrity pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a BA in Journalism and a minor in Business Management. When not binge-watching the latest series on Netflix, she takes martial arts lessons (she loves kickboxing and Krav Maga!), consumes way too many coffees a day and dreams about penning her next big story.