Keen Ruffalo ditched his fashion design studies to become an actor after he suffered from "COVID depression".

The 25-year-old entertainer dropped out of college after the pandemic sent him and his freshman-year cohort home, and seeing how happy performing made his 58-year-old dad, Mark Ruffalo, inspired Keen to abandon his dreams of being a fashion designer and follow in his footsteps.

Appearing on NBC's The Today Show on Friday (07.08.26), the Sterling Point cast member recalled: "It was around COVID, and it got to that point where everyone's really burning out from being inside.

"I was starting my freshman year of college just before COVID happened, and I was going for fashion design originally, and I dropped out not long after.

"We ended up kind of separating for COVID, and yeah, I got the COVID depression, as many people did. And I needed a change, and I was lost at the time, and so I saw that acting made my dad so happy and I was like, 'Listen, I need to try something new.'"

The Avengers star Mark backed his son's career switch but still asked if he was sure.

Laughing, Keen said: "Yeah, he was definitely supportive, but he was like, 'You sure you want to do this?'"

Mark and his 53-year-old wife, Sunrise Coigney, are also parents to daughters Bella, 21, and 18-year-old Odette.

In January, the Crime 101 alum said he would not rule out swapping his illustrious acting career for "doing something good" for millions of Americans as a politician.

Mark told Us Weekly: "It isn't on my game card right now, but who knows. I mean, you never say never.

"I mean, I spent a lot of time in that world, and acting - it's for the people. So, I love the people, and politicians could be doing something good for the people."

He then lauded New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, 34, who ran as a Democratic Socialist and made history during his swearing-in ceremony on January 1 when he became the first prominent US politician to take the oath on a Quran.

Mark said: "Seeing Mamdani's win in New York has really excited me about what's possible in the United States right now."

The Mickey 17 cast member - who has been a fierce critic of 80-year-old US President Donald Trump - believes the country needs a new political direction that serves working people, as the Democratic and Republican parties have "become completely captured by corporations".

Mark said: "It's bulls***. And the people in America are suffering. If the people in America weren't suffering, we wouldn't be where we are right now.

"You know, it's a failure on both parties. They become completely captured by corporations, both parties. And it's time for a new America that is for the working people who were the plurality of this country."