Jeremy Renner looks ahead to 2024, even as he thinks about the traumatic snowplow accident that almost took his life a year ago.
During an appearance on CNN's New Year's Eve show, the actor opened up about his long road to recovery – and confirmed that he will finally be back on the set of his Paramount+ crime drama Mayor of Kingstown.
“I think I’m ready,” he told hosts Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. “I think I'm strong enough. We will see. I mean, I’m literally going back in a week.”
Jeremy Renner.
Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic
The news comes a full calendar year after Renner was crushed by his snowplow last New Year's Day while attempting to steer the vehicle away from his nephew on his property in Nevada. The MCU actor was flown to a hospital following the accident, where it was determined he had suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries. He was released after two weeks and revealed on social media that he had broken more than 30 bones.
Reflecting on the incident with Cohen and Cooper, Renner explained that his determination to help his loved ones helped him through the difficult recovery process.
“I’m just so blessed to have had so many things to live for,” he said. “I have a huge family. I have a 10 year old daughter. I would have disappointed and really messed up a lot of things. “If I died it would take a lot of people's lives, and so I have a lot to recover from.”
Joking that he was also a “pretty stubborn sob,” the Marvel star continued, “There was a lot I had to fight for, and recovery was just a two-way street for me.” My recovery became a relief for me , because I knew I could bring relief to my family, my daughter and everyone I really affected.”
Renner also referenced his nephew who witnessed the incident, adding, “I gave him pictures that he could never unsee, but I knew my healing would be a healing for him.”
He continued: “I never thought about my own physical discomfort, my own pain or my own fear. I had so many things to fight for, so the one-way street of recovery was my mental mindset, and that mindset was always to get better. There is no other option than this. And I still work every day in every way and thank God that I have a lot of struggles.”
Last week, Renner announced his return to television by sharing an Instagram Story of actress Emma Laird, one of his co-stars as the mayor of Kingstown. The third season of the Taylor Sheridan-created show isn't the only project keeping Renner busy. In October, he announced the release of a musical diary entitled “Love and Titanium” on January 19 to commemorate the last year of his life.
Now, Renner is kicking off the new year with the release of the EP's first single, “Wait,” dedicated to his daughter. In an emotional Instagram post, he called her the main reason for his recovery.
“I asked her to wait for me when I first saw her when I arrived home on January 14th,” Renner wrote. “As I got better, she got better, she was less scared. There is simply no better motivator for recovery than the healing of your family and friends. I am forever grateful and thank you all for your love and support over the last full year. I needed every ounce of goodwill and prayer.”
You can watch Renner's full interview with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen above.
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