A few months after being crushed by a 14,000-pound snowplow, Jeremy Renner reflects on the silver linings of the life-threatening accident that landed him in the intensive care unit with more than 30 broken bones.
In a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Renner said he “was lucky in a lot of ways.” Although he broke about 35 bones — he said doctors keep finding more — the ice-removing machine he described as a “giant metal cookie roller” missed every vertebra and organ. He did not have any brain swelling. And when Kimmel mentioned his “collapsed lung,” Renner joked, “Yeah, that’s good. I have another one.”
“My eyes popped,” said the actor. “It’s weird.”
Jeremy Renner appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
The 52-year-old “Avengers” star was beaming as he walked the stage of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Earlier this week with a stick. The host hugged and smiled while the audience gave him a standing ovation. He even did some dancing.
“Was this a publicity stunt?” Kimmel joked.
“Sure,” said Renner, laughing.
“Now if there was any question as to who was the toughest Avenger, it’s now been settled, right?” Kimmel said, as Renner interjected with “Scarlett Johansson.” “Forget Downey, Hemsworth, forget those guys, that’s you, you’re the man.”
Renner has undergone a reconstruction of some sort since the accident. His rib cages were reconstructed with metal. His jaw is now held together with rubber bands and screws, and there are titanium rods in his legs. While the 52-year-old actor said it was “a really bad way to start the year,” he was grateful to have his family with him through it all.
“They were by my side the whole time,” Renner told Kimmel, noting that his family was present at the show.
Renner spent most of his brief interview with Kimmel cracking jokes and focusing on the positives — his family, friends, and other blessings that emerged from the accident. He said his normally busy schedule is now wide open, and that he was even able to kick his smoking habit.
The easiest way to quit smoking – because I almost killed myself I didn’t even think about smoking. It was so easy! he joked.
At one point during the interview, Kimmel shared a recent video of Renner on a motorbike jamming Prince at Six Flags.
“You’re mocking that injury, you really are,” Kimmel laughed.
Renner replied, “I promise I’m in a lot of pain.”
Kimmel has also been involved in fakes a barrier Video made by Renner’s friend and Avengers co-star Paul Rudd.
“Hey Jerry, I hear you’re a little shy, you got into a fight with a snow blower, it seems?” Rod began adding that he hoped Renner would feel better and maybe the two of them would meet one day.
“Next time, maybe let the snow melt,” concluded Rudd.
“Rennervations” is now available on Disney+
Deseret News previously reported that Renner’s new show “Rennervations” has also been a “driving force” in his recovery. The show hit Disney+ on April 12th.
“This show set a milestone for me to get better, to make sure that all of our hard work wasn’t for nothing,” Renner said at the show’s Los Angeles premiere earlier this week. USA Today. “There was no alternative. For me, it was easy. There was a place to go, a place to refer to, and I had a lot of love.”
The four-part documentary series shows the actor repurposing decommissioned government vehicles for communities in need – a longtime passion of Renner’s.
“I never thought I’d still dream of being a 52-year-old man,” Renner said. CNN at the premiere. “I feel like I kind of did it. But wow, it’s nice to have things come true on your own. There’s still more to wonder, and I feel so grateful to be here to continue to find that wonder.”
Future teen idol. Typical social media ninja. Alcohol buff. Explorer. Creator. Beer advocate.”