NEED TO KNOW
Mark Ruffalo is reflecting on filming the first season of Task.
The actor, 57, recently spoke with PEOPLE at the premiere of the new HBO original series, in which he stars as FBI agent Tom Brandis. While preparing for the role, Ruffalo consulted with real-life retired FBI special agent Scott Duffey, who he says taught him a meaningful lesson about people who work in the field.
“I learned that the best FBI agents have a lot of empathy,” he shares.
Peter Kramer/HBO
Last month, the Marvel star told PEOPLE that when he wasn’t with Duffey, he spent most of his time going around Philadelphia, where the show was filmed, eating the city’s famous dish.
“I ate a lot of Philly cheesesteak sandwiches,” he confessed. “I just put a bunch of weight on!”
In addition to Ruffalo, the drama show stars Ozark alum Tom Pelphrey as Robbie, a father-of-two who is embroiled in a life of crime. Other cast members include Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Raúl Castillo, Silvia Dionicio and Phoebe Fox.
“Set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, an FBI agent heads a task force to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man,” the synopsis reads.
The seven-episode series comes from Mare of Easttown’s Brad Ingelsby, who serves as an executive producer alongside Ruffalo.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty
In the trailer, Ruffalo’s Tom is assigned to the task force by FBI honcho Kathleen, portrayed by Martha Plimpton. She is later heard saying, “We need to find this crew before a turf war escalates.”
Meanwhile, Pelphrey’s Robbie reveals his deeper motive behind the crimes: “I’m going to take their money so we can have a better life,” the father of two tells his partner.
That dynamic grows tense when she accuses him of ruining their kids’ lives and decides to leave the family. At the same time, Tom is having issues at home as well, resulting in dinner table arguments and tearful confessions.
In the end, Robbie and Tom find themselves face-to-face at gunpoint.
“Even if I wanted to go home, I don’t know the way no more,” Robbie admits.
Ruffalo was last seen on the small screen in 2023’s All the Light We Cannot See. Three years prior, he won an Emmy for his work as twin brothers in I Know This Much is True, also executive-produced by the actor. His next project is Cooper Raiff’s comedy series Hal & Harper, which Ruffalo is set to star in.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Task airs weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
