Mark Ruffalo's children thought he was stuck inside the television.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo

The 48-year-old actor - who has son Keen, 15, Bella, 10, and Odette, eight, with his spouse Sunrise Coigney - has revealed his children believed he was "literally" trapped inside the electrical appliance when they were younger.

Speaking to PEOPLE about his children's misunderstanding when they first watched his dad perform, he said: "The first time he ever saw me on TV, I was away and he was there with the nanny.

"He saw me on TV and he ran to the TV and started banging on the side of it, like: 'How is he? Papa! Papa! Come out, come out!'"

However, Mark - who gained international recognition for his role as the Hulk/ Doctor Bruce Banner in the Marvel Comic 'The Avengers' - found his kids' naïve reaction endearing.

He said: "It was really sweet. It was so literal for him. He literally thought I was in the TV!"

Although Mark's brood have watched "all" of the films he has starred in, there are a few movies they are still too young to watch.

The dark-haired heartthrob explained: "Most of the movies I've done my kids can't watch yet, technically.

"But yeah, the ones that they can, they have seen all of them."

Meanwhile, Mark is set to reprise his role as the illusionist Dylan Rhodes in the sequel 'Now you See Me: The Second Act' alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco, which will hit the big screens July 4.