Jeremy Renner discusses his life-changing snowplow accident and its impact on his acting career, revealing why he now avoids challenging roles to focus on his recovery and well-being.
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Jeremy Renner, known for his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has undergone significant life changes following a near-fatal snowplow accident last year. During an appearance on the “Smartless” podcast, Renner opened up to hosts Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes about how the traumatic event has influenced his career choices and personal life.
Renner revealed that he now avoids particularly challenging roles. This shift in his approach to acting came after he sustained severe injuries, including nearly 40 broken bones, when a snowplow ran over him. The incident left him grappling with the mental and physical toll of his injuries, making it difficult to return to work.
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“I was very terrified to do fiction when I got back to acting,” Renner admitted. “I’m still trying to live in reality. It was a hard line for me to cross. It was very, very challenging mentally to get over that hump.”
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Despite his fears, Renner found solace in returning to his role in “Mayor of Kingstown,” a character and show he was already familiar with. “I don’t take it super seriously,” he said. “I’m in a character that I can do very well, and I know the show very well, so it was easy for me to slide back into it.”
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However, Renner emphasized that he wouldn’t have been able to take on a more demanding role. “If it was a very challenging role, I couldn’t have taken it. Not challenging because the show’s challenging, but if I had to go play someone like Dahmer, something so far from me, I don’t have the energy for it. I don’t have the fuel.”
Renner’s accident, which occurred on January 1, 2023, near his home in Reno, Nevada, left a lasting impact on him. He recounted the harrowing experience to Men’s Health, describing the sensation of his head cracking and the crushing force of the machinery. “I remember my head cracking on the thing and it just pressing on me — it’s exactly like you think it would feel. An immovable object and a crushing force, and something’s gotta give. But thank God my skull didn’t fully give.”
In addition to breaking 38 bones, Jeremy Renner suffered a pierced liver and a collapsed lung. His recovery involved multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation. Despite the ordeal, Renner has found a positive perspective, sharing the “wonderful lessons” he learned from the experience.
“I can go on and on about what happened, and the 45 minutes being on the ice, but there’s so many great gifts,” he told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” last month. “Being tested to your limits — your physical limits, your spiritual limits, right? Emotional limits.”
Renner concluded with a newfound appreciation for life. “I won’t have a bad day for the rest of my life. It’s impossible.”
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