Jeremy Renner reflected on the excruciating pain he endured when a snow plow ran over him in January 2023, breaking over 38 bones, and how his recovery has given him a new outlook on life.

The incident occurred on New Year’s Day near his Reno, Nevada home while clearing snow with his nephew. The 53-year-old star, known for his role as Hawkeye in Disney’s Marvel franchise, stepped down from the cab of his PistenBully snow groomer. As he talked with his nephew, the 14,000-pound machine started rolling forward.

Renner made a quick decision to jump back into the cab to shut it down, but his foot got caught in the treads, pulling him under. “I remember every undulation,” he told Men’s Health. “It’s exactly like you think it would feel…a crushing force… But thank God my skull didn’t fully give.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jeremy Renner (@jeremyrenner)

Renner described the pain and struggle to breathe with broken ribs and a collapsed lung. His neighbors arrived after ten minutes and called 911. Renner was airlifted to the hospital with more than 38 broken bones, including ribs, pelvis, knee, ankle, shoulder, and eye socket. His lung collapsed, and he had a major laceration on his head.

Surrounded by family upon regaining consciousness, Renner wrote, “Holy f—. I’m so sorry. I love you all so much,” while intubated. He didn’t hesitate to protect his nephew, saying, “I’m not letting anybody get hurt on my watch.”

Since the accident, Renner underwent extensive physical therapy, including red light and hyperbaric chamber therapy. He returned to work on Mayor of Kingstown but found the comeback challenging, admitting he was “fragile” during filming.

The experience taught him to appreciate and receive love from family and friends. “There’s a lot of people that love me. I had no idea,” he said. “I was famous for having a bow and arrow; now I’m famous for overcoming something as a man.”