'They worked me too hard': Jeremy Renner reveals his struggles after comeback from snowplow accident

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jeremy Renner, the 53-year-old 'Avengers' actor known for his role in the series 'Mayor of Kingstown', recently opened up about his experience of returning to work after a near-fatal snowplow accident on January 1, 2023.

The accident left him with severe injuries, including blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries, which he sustained while trying to help his nephew with a car issue.

Jeremy Renner’s struggles on the set of 'Mayor of Kingstown'

The 'Hurt Locker' star revealed that his return to work was not easy. His physical limitations were significant, and he felt like he was being treated like a child actor on set.

“They have to treat me like I’m a child actor. The mayor of Kingstown is now like a 14-year-old,” he told the Los Angeles Times.

He even recalled an incident where he fell asleep during a take on his first week back. “They go, ‘And action!’ And I was out,” he said.

He also expressed that he felt overworked, stating, “We discovered they worked me too hard, too many hours, too many days in a row."

"What I’m willing to do is everything, but what I’m able to do is a different thing," he told the publication. 

Hugh Dillion’s involvement in Jeremy Renner’s return

Interestingly, 'Mayor of Kingstown' co-creator Hugh Dillion played a significant role in Renner’s return to the set.

Renner shared that Dillion had asked his mother for permission for him to return to work. However, Renner himself was unsure if he wanted to continue.

“To try to create some truth and then get the audience to believe it, while I’m just trying to learn to walk again, to put one foot in front of the other and not get up in agony," he explained.

"I’m doing all these things to find my footing on the planet again. The idea of going into a fictional world — I have to be honest with you, I had to really consider, Is this something I really want to do?” Renner said about his decision.

Jeremy Renner’s positive outlook post-near-fatal accident 

Despite the challenges, Renner insisted that the accident has left him with a more positive outlook on life.

“It took the collective of all these people. That’s the power of love. It’s a slow burn," he said.

"Man, I tell you… I’m alive. I’m walking through life with a smile on my face. And there’s nothing that’s ever going to change that. Nothing. It’s impossible for me to have a bad day,” Renner added.

In January, he confirmed he was back to working on his hit series as he expressed how much nervous he was.

“Day one on set,” he wrote in a caption alongside a selfie, adding, “Nervous today.” He also said that he was doing it all for his fans.

“Hope this works out that I can ACTUALLY pull this off for our production and more importantly the fans,” he continued.