Jeremy Renner is officially back on set, marking his return to acting after the near-fatal snowplow accident that changed his life in 2023.
The 54-year-old star has joined the cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, his first project since sustaining more than 30 broken bones when he was run over by a snowplow outside his Nevada home.
Speaking to E! News at the Sense of Home 10th Anniversary Gala on Oct. 4—where he and his sister Kym Renner were honoured for their philanthropic work—Renner admitted the role was exactly what he needed.
“It was nice just to do a smaller part in a bigger, great movie,” he shared. “So, it wasn’t too much work for me or too much responsibility.”
The actor, who joins a star-studded lineup including Daniel Craig, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis and Kerry Washington, couldn’t stop praising the experience.
“It’s a tremendous filmmaker and tremendous cast,” Renner said of director Rian Johnson’s project. “I’ve had a lot of fun.”
Filming also gave him the chance to turn work into family time. Renner, who shares 12-year-old daughter Ava with ex Sonni Pacheco, brought loved ones overseas while shooting.
“I had 15 of my family members come out and visit. They got a whole summer vacation in Europe,” he joked. “I had to work a little bit. But you know, what’s my work? I play make believe for a living.”
His return is especially meaningful given the long road to recovery after his January 2023 accident.
In his memoir My Next Breath, Renner revealed just how close he came to death.
“As I lay on the ice, my heart rate slowed, and right there, on that New Year’s Day, unknown to my daughter, my sisters, my friends, my father, my mother, I just got tired,” he recalled.
“I died, right there on the driveway to my house.”
“I know I died—in fact, I’m sure of it,” he continued.
“When the EMTs arrived, they noted that my heart rate had bottomed out at 18, and at 18 beats per minute, you’re basically dead.”
Now, with his health back on track and a major film underway, Renner’s return marks not just a comeback on screen but a powerful chapter of resilience off it.