Summary
- Jeremy Renner is known for taking risks in his film career, but he denies being a thrill-seeker and says he doesn't actively seek out dangerous situations.
- Jeremy has a history of getting injured on and off set, including breaking both arms during a film shoot and running himself over with a snowplow while saving his nephew.
- Despite the risks and injuries, Jeremy has recovered quickly and continues to pursue his career, although he may need to be more cautious with future projects due to physical limitations. However, he still remains open to taking risks in his personal life.
Jeremy Renner has quite a reputation in Hollywood for being a risk-taker. In a recap of his film career with Vanity Fair, though, Renner dispelled what he considers the myth that he's a thrill-seeker. While he says he's down for thrills, he doesn't seek them out. His career might speak for itself, however.
Whatever he has to say about it, it's plain to see from Jeremy's long hospital record that he doesn't shy away from risks, and in some cases, he purposely doesn't avoid them—as was the case when he did his own stunts in a film that resulted in some severe injuries. Other times, Jeremy takes risks that seem smaller, but wind up risking his life in the end.
Jeremy Renner Is No Stranger To On- And Off-Set Accidents
In early 2023, Jeremy Renner essentially ran himself over with a snowplow after saving his nephew from getting hit by the runaway machine. He wound up in the hospital with intense injuries, from broken bones to tissue damage.
The list of injuries was achingly extensive, ranging from broken ribs to various broken bones in his arms, legs, shoulders, joints, and face plus a collapsed lung and broken eye socket.
Yet in a short time, Jeremy recovered well enough to attend interviews and even walk a red carpet (for the premiere of a Disney project). Jeremy still has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but unfortunately for the actor, it wasn't even his first time getting severely injured.
Years ago, during the movie Tag in 2018, Jeremy broke both arms at the same time while attempting a stunt that involved him 'running' up a stack of chairs. Not realizing he was injured at first, Jeremy continued filming until the scene was wrapped.
Then, he realized something was wrong, and headed to the hospital. Both his arms were broken, resulting in casts that had to be edited out of the film with the help of CGI.
Sadly for Jeremy, it wouldn't be the last time his life was at risk on set.
Jeremy Admitted He Almost Died While Filming 'The Hurt Locker'
Given everything that Jeremy Renner has survived, fans probably won't be surprised to learn that he nearly died while filming The Hurt Locker in 2009. What might actually be surprising is the fact that Jeremy didn't nearly die on set.
Rather, he made an apparently unwise choice while on a break from the movie that landed him in the hospital.
While filming the movie, Jeremy underwent a lot of training (and travel) to develop his character. The crew also filmed in the Middle East, making the movie more authentic. Renner explained that the weather was 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and he had to don heavy equipment for his character.
At some point, Jeremy explained, the physical pain became more "spiritual," informing his character in ways that wouldn't have happened if the temperature was sub-100. The movie was more realistic that way, and the cast being immersed in not only the location but also working with and visiting military members further made the film more authentic (and Oscar-worthy).
Unfortunately for Renner, he made it through all of filming without getting sick—then nearly died before going home.
Reflecting on the experience, Jeremy explained that he got sick while the cast was 'having fun' in Beirut. Jeremy ate a sandwich that his friend had ordered to their hotel room, and apparently, the lettuce on it made Jeremy deathly ill.
According to Jeremy's account, he lost 30 pounds in four days before getting heli-lifted back to Jordan. He was sicker than he had ever been in his life, but Jeremy laughed reflecting on the experience.
At some point, the memory of being near death after surviving the entire Hurt Locker filming experience became a rather fond one, capping off what Jeremy said was a life-changing experience overall.
'The Hurt Locker' Wasn't Even Jeremy's Most Iconic Performance
While Jeremy Renner explained how life-changing The Hurt Locker was for him, his career-defining moment came earlier. The gig that earned him the Hurt Locker film was his true breakthrough, according to Renner, because it was a one-off part that led to so many more opportunities.
These days, after being known as Hawkeye for so long, Jeremy doesn't have to worry about where his next project will come from. Instead, it's more about what he's physically able to do following his snowplow incident.
His net worth hasn't suffered, but Jeremy might have to be more careful with his future projects. Specifically, he likely won't be able to handle the intense stunts that he used to, even if it comes to reprising his role as Hawkeye and completing 'stunts' with the help of harnesses and CGI.
But Renner, who has said he would be run all over by that snowplow all over again to save his nephew, might not be done taking risks just yet.
