A tragic accident nearly cost one Disney actor his life, and now, because of his miraculous survival, he says that though he loves acting, he feels like he survived because he is supposed to be doing more with his life for others, and his acting career is no longer his top priority.
In January, actor Jeremy Renner was “completely crushed” by a snowplow in his hometown of Reno, Nevada. By many accounts, the accident could have easily killed Renner. But he survived. The Disney/Marvel actor has embodied the character of Hawkeye in multiple films and series, including Thor, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow, What If…?, and Hawkeye. Renner also stars in a new series to be released on the Disney+ streaming platform, titled Rennervations, which debuts on April 12.
The four-part docuseries is produced by Boardwalk Pictures and follows Renner as he travels the world to help reimagine certain unique, purpose-built vehicles that are used in the service of local communities. During the series, Renner visits his hometown of Reno, Nevada, as well as Chicago, Illinois, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Rajasthan, India. In each location, Renner, a veteran of the construction industry, works with his team of builders to find “decommissioned” vehicles that can be reimaged and rebuilt so that they can serve a new purpose in the local community.
Credit: Disney+
In a recent interview, Renner said that developing and planning for the new docuseries kept him going following a traumatic accident on New Year’s Day 2023, but the accident has reportedly changed his perspective on life.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, an insider who has recently spent time with Renner said that “although [Renner] does still love acting, Hollywood is just not a priority to him anymore.” The source went on to say that following his near-fatal accident in January, Renner has shifted his focus away from his acting career.
“Jeremy believes that he survived the accident so that he can use his platform to really create change in the world,” the source added. “He is very proud of the work that he has done, but this entire situation has really shown him that there is so much more that he could be doing to help others.”
On January 1, Renner was using his snowplow, a Pistenbully snow groomer, to help his nephew with his disabled vehicle when the unthinkable happened. According to a report filed with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle began to slide sideways toward Renner’s nephew. At that time, Renner exited the snowplow without engaging the emergency brake. During his attempt to keep his nephew from harm, Renner was run over by the 7-ton plow.
Credit: The Daily Mail
Renner’s nephew helped him until first responders arrived. The Hawkeye actor was airlifted to the hospital, where he stayed for more than two weeks. During his time there, he underwent at least two surgeries and was cared for by medical personnel in the intensive care unit. Renner broke more than 30 bones during the accident and has been working with physical therapists and other medical professionals to continue the healing and rehabilitative processes.