Benjamin Jones
Jeremy Renner is returning to the hit show “Mayor of Kingstown” after breaking 38 bones and undergoing multiple surgeries after being involved in an accident involving a 7-ton snowplow on New Year’s Day 2023. The accident left him seriously injured and unable to work for over a year.
Despite the serious physical and emotional toll of the accident, Renner — an Oscar nominee best known for his role as the superhero Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — said he found solace in returning to work.
“I can’t just feel pain and recovery all the time,” he said.
Renner admitted that the transition back to acting was challenging, especially given the heightened reality of his own life. Renner had a Perforated liver and collapsed lung after the accident.
He said the first few weeks were “very fragile and difficult,” but said he found that returning to set helped him cope.
Renner stars as Mike McLusky in the Paramount+ crime drama that follows a family of powerful people trying to bring order and justice to a city that relies on the prison system. It returns for its third season on June 2.
Renner said his personal experiences influenced his portrayal of McLusky, adding a layer of vulnerability to the tough character.
“I feel like I’ve made it more delicate because I think I am,” he said.
This evolution aligns with the show’s narrative, where McLusky faces significant personal loss. Renner noted that the parallels between his real life and McLusky’s stories helped him bring authenticity to the role.
“I personally was dealing with a lot of those types of feelings anyway, so it kind of worked out where, what was going on in my life was kind of congruent. What was going on in Mike McLusky’s life. series too,” he said.
In addition to his acting career, Renner has been involved in music and writing as part of his healing process.
“You know, music is very healing. It’s very emotional and very unifying,” he said.
He is also working on a book about his recovery journey, highlighting life and death and everything he has learned in recovery.
Renner said his daughter, Ava, also played an important role in his recovery.
“She was my driving force,” he said. “I wasn’t focused on my pain. I wasn’t focused on anything I was going through. I had to do this and heal my daughter. I relieved myself of everything I had to go through.”
Along with Ava, Renner said he wanted to heal his mother and nephew, who was with him in the accident.
“I had a lot of people to love… and that was a big part of my fuel to get through. I didn’t have to focus on myself,” he said.
Reflecting on his career and near-death experience, Renner offered advice to his younger self.
“Trust your instinct,” he said. “I have no regrets and that was also confirmed, you know, in the accident…I was on my deathbed and I have no regrets.”
