Robert Ruffalo

Born in Jersey and raised on a steady diet of family, faith, and performance, Rob’s journey began not in comedy clubs but in community theaters. At just ten years old, he stepped into the spotlight as Patrick Dennis in Mame—and never looked back. Whether playing Jesus in Godspell or the larger-than-life P.T. Barnum in Barnum, Rob was clearly a natural-born entertainer. There’s a certain kind of New York comedian who doesn’t need to tell you where he’s from; you hear it in the rhythm, the timing, the unapologetic warmth. Broccoli Rob is that kind of comedian and actor. A Jersey guy by address, sure—but culturally? He’s a bridge-and-tunnel heartbeat away from Manhattan, and spiritually planted right in the center of New York comedy. On a recent night at Gotham Comedy Club, Broccoli Rob stepped onto a stage steeped in comedy history and delivered a performance that felt distinctly current while honoring everything that came before it. The room was electric, laughter rolled through the upscale showroom the way it has for decades, sharp, communal, and unmistakably New York. Broccoli Rob, born Dr. Robert Anthony Ruffalo, is an Italian-American doctor-comedian whose career makes perfect sense once you see him live. He’s observant without being cynical. Sharp without being cruel. And deeply connected to the kind of generational, street-level humor New Yorkers instantly recognize as authentic. Broccoli Rob’s comedy is clean, clever, and deeply human. It’s not about shock, it’s about connection. One of his most powerful moments came when a widow approached him after a show and thanked him for making her laugh for the first time since her husband's passing. That moment, Rob says, means more than any applause break. His one-man show, Broccoli Rob: Then & Now, is a crowd favorite—especially in New York—tracing life from rotary phones to smartphones and from handwritten notes to emojis. It’s nostalgic, observant, and packed with laughs that resonate across generations. With a polished sizzle reel now live on YouTube, Broccoli Rob is eyeing streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu to bring Then & Now to a global audience. He’s also developing: Sketch Comedy Parody Films for the 2026 film festival submissions A collection of essays and sketches exploring the Broccoli Rob worldview A comedic book on pickleball Filming his One Man Show Broccoli Rob Then and Now