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“Avengers” star Jeremy Renner has reflected on the serious snowplow accident a year ago that nearly killed him.
On January 1, 2023, Renner was run over by the seven-ton vehicle in front of his home in rural Nevada. He broke over 30 bones and had to undergo multiple operations after being hospitalized.
Renner, best known for his role as Clint “Hawkeye” Barton in the popular Marvel film series, reflected on the incident to mark the one-year anniversary.
Speaking to CNN, he said: “I'm just so blessed that I had so many things to live for, I have a huge family, a 10-year-old daughter.”
“I would have disappointed and really messed up a lot of people's lives if I had passed. I’m also pretty stubborn, there’s a lot to fight for and recovery has been a two-way street for me and my recovery.”
The accident occurred when Renner was using the plow to rescue his nephew who was stuck in a car during a severe storm.
After successfully towing his nephew's vehicle, Renner exited the plow, which then rolled toward him and crushed him.
Jeremy Renner pictured in September 2023
(Getty Images for Level 8)
Renner told CNN that his “poor nephew” subsequently had to respond by airlifting the actor to a hospital in Reno, Nevada.
“I gave him, you know, pictures that he could never unsee,” Renner continued, adding that he knew “my healing would be healing for him.”
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“I had never thought about my own physical ailments, my own pain or my own torment – so the one-way path to recovery was like a mental attitude,” he added. “And that attitude was always to get better. And there is no other option.”
Renner also shared a post on Instagram paying tribute to his “sweet nephew who helped save his life.”
The actor, also known for his Oscar-nominated role in the war drama The Hurt Locker, has spent much of the year recovering from his injuries.
(Disney Plus)
However, he told CNN that he would soon return to acting and film the third season of the Paramount+ series “The Mayor Of Kingstown.”
“I think I’m strong enough,” he said. “We'll see. I mean, I'm literally going back in a week. But I'm going to do my best and do my best.”
In October, Renner, who is also a musician, announced that he would release a new album inspired by his brush with death.
In a post on Instagram, the actor announced a new collection of songs titled “Love and Titanium,” explaining that creating the tracks was a “cathartic” way to deal with his near-death experience.
“A collection of music we wrote about various milestones in my recovery journey since January 1st of this year,” he wrote. “Creating Love and Titanium was painful, deeply healing and ultimately liberating for me. I hope I have the courage to share it with all of you.”