Jeremy Renner enjoys rare public outing with daughter Ava at Alice nella Citta Film Festival in Rome

Jeremy Renner, 55, made a stylish appearance with his 13-year-old daughter, Ava, at the 24th annual Alice nella Citta film festival in Rome on Friday, October 23. The father-daughter duo looked elegant, with Renner sporting a gray suit while Ava wore a black shirt paired with a light pink skirt. The 'Hawkeye' star became a dad later in life at 42, which he once said was “the best thing” he’s ever done.

Jeremy Renner was spotted kissing his daughter Ava on the forehead as they stood on the red carpet together. Renner has often spoken about how fatherhood changed his perspective on life and priorities. In a September 2014 interview with Capitol File magazine, he reflected on his journey, saying he felt blessed to have achieved many of his goals and could now devote more time to his family. After welcoming Ava, Renner also adjusted his busy filming schedule to spend more time with her. “The only thing I think about when I’m not with my baby is, ‘How do I get to my baby?’” he shared, adding that he felt miserable when they were apart and truly loved being a father.

Jeremy Renner and his daughter Ava were also spotted holding hands and walking together with cheerful smiles. He has also described Ava as a source of inspiration and personal growth. “She makes me the best version of me,” Renner said in an exclusive clip for his show Rennervations shared with PEOPLE. “She inspires me to be better.” Although the devoted father generally keeps his daughter out of the public eye, he previously shared a glimpse of her recording the audiobook for his memoir, 'My Next Breath,' on his Instagram Stories.

Jeremy Renner also previously explained why he shared a photo of his daughter despite generally keeping her out of the spotlight. “She sort of inserted herself into that scenario by writing the essay early on in the thing. So I asked her, at the end of writing the book, if I could put her essay in the beginning of the book,” Renner said. He continued, “I totally forgot about the idea that she’s going to have to do the narration of that too. So I was just reminded and so proud of how far we’ve come as a family, how far we’ve come as father and daughter.”

Jeremy Renner explained why he covers daughter Ava’s face with an emoji in social media photos. “I got to protect my girl,” he said, adding that he’s “just very proud of her and how far she’s come.” In an interview with The Guardian last year, Renner addressed media coverage of his 2019 custody battle with his ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco, which involved allegations he has denied. “Whatever stress I’ve had in life I’ve tried to find a way of laughing through it,” he said, describing the coverage as “clickbait” that “hurts my feelings and it dehumanizes people.”