From dialect to weight gain, Mark Ruffalo undergoes a striking transformation for his role in Task season 1

One of the highlights of Task season 1 is Mark Ruffalo's striking transformation to fit the character of an FBI Agent, Tom Brandis. From the special dialect that connects him to the setting to his physical look, Ruffalo's avatar adds uniqueness to the show.

Based in the same Delaware County where the Mare of Easttown series is set, the new show brings a unique set of characters and a fresh storyline for the audience.

FBI Agent Tom gets assigned to lead a team to look into the puzzling house invasion robberies happening in his region. The audience learns that a simple family-loving guy, Robbie, and his team are behind the deeds. The tense situation between the authorities and the culprits, along with each character's individual struggles, is followed in the series.

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Mark Ruffalo learnt the Delco accent for Task season 1

A still from the series (Image via HBO)

FBI Agent Tom has a lot on his plate in Task season 1. From grieving his deceased wife to solving the robbery case at hand, the character's unique personality fits all that is happening to him in the story. Stepping into his shoes, actor Mark Ruffalo had a lot to prepare for the show.

One of the most striking parts of his character is the accent that is specific to Delaware County, a.k.a. Delco. Talking about the accent, Mark Ruffalo spoke to Entertainment Weekly on September 7, 2025 and said:

"There's nothing like it. It's like the north meets the south, with a mid-Atlantic, it's the craziest dialect I've ever heard."

The actor, who was born in Wisconsin, also shared more about the dialect and his experience with it in an interview with USA Today on September 7. He mentioned:

"I kept wanting to slip into Wisconsin or New York. The accent is specific and so weird and so idiosyncratic. It's like the South meets Baltimore, with a little Italian and Irish accents sprinkled in."

Mastering the distinct dialect was difficult, but Mark Ruffalo achieved it with the help of the dialect coach Susanne Sulby. Elaborating on his interaction with the coach, Ruffalo shared with EW:

"She comes from that tradition, and she was an amazing dialect coach. She worked with everybody, and spent hours and hours and hours with us. She was with us every day on set. She really helped create that world in an auditory sort of way."

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Mark Ruffalo used enlargement augmentation for weight gain in Task season 1

A still from the series (Image via HBO)

Ruffalo's character from the series, Tom Brandis, is shown mourning the loss of his wife. With his grief leading to habits like heavy drinking, the physical effects of it had to be aptly portrayed in the character's look.

Mark Ruffalo managed to bring out the shaken state of Tom through weight gain. In the same interview with USA Today, the series creator, Brad Ingelsby, shared how the actor decided on such a look for his character. Reasoning out such a physical transformation, he said:

"We wanted to lean into the tragedy aftermath. The anchor of the family is gone. As parent and in terms of what he's eating and drinking, Tom is adrift."

Mark Ruffalo made use of enlargement augmentation, or padded prosthetics, to bring out the desired weight for Tom in Task season 1. This made him gain around 30-40 pounds for his role. The costume designers of the series worked with a prosthetic baby bump and customized it to replicate the physical appearance suited to Tom Brandis' condition in the show. Additionally, Ruffalo kept a beard to further add an unkempt touch to his look.

These preparations hint at the efforts of Mark Ruffalo and the team to add authenticity to his character. From visual touches to intense scenes, the team has attempted to bring a lot for the viewers to witness in Task season 1.

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Stay tuned for more updates.