Jeremy Renner, the Marvel star known for his role as Hawkeye, has opened up about a life-altering moment in his new memoir, My Next Breath. In a gripping recounting, he shares how he briefly died during a horrific snowplow accident on New Year’s Day 2023, describing the experience as a “great relief” and “the most exhilarating peace you could ever feel.” The trailer for Apple TV+’s upcoming crime drama 'Smoke' might have fans buzzing about his return to the screen, but Renner’s reflections on this near-fatal incident reveal a deeply personal journey of survival and resilience. Here’s what he’s shared about that day and how it’s shaped his outlook.
On January 1, 2023, Renner was at his Lake Tahoe home, helping his nephew, Alexander Fries, clear snow after a blizzard. While operating a 14,330-pound Sno-Cat, Renner forgot to engage the emergency brake—a “tiny but monumental slip of the mind,” as he calls it. The massive machine began sliding toward his nephew, and Renner instinctively tried to jump back into the driver’s seat to stop it. Instead, he was pulled under and crushed, suffering over 30 broken bones, a collapsed lung, and severe chest trauma. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he was treated for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries. About 30 minutes after the accident, Renner says he briefly died, an experience he describes as both surreal and profound.
In My Next Breath, Renner writes that death felt like “no time at all, yet it was also all time and forever.” Speaking on Live with Kelly and Mark, he told Kelly Ripa that it was “the highest adrenaline rush, but the peace that comes with it… it’s magnificent. It’s so magical.” He admitted, “I didn’t want to come back. I was brought back and I was so pissed off. I’m like, ‘Aww!’” That fleeting moment of “electric serenity” left him unafraid of death, a perspective that’s reshaped how he lives. “I came back for a reason, and nothing to do with me,” he says, emphasizing a newfound purpose to live life on his own terms, “as the captain of my own ship.”
Renner’s recovery was grueling, taking much of 2023 to rebuild his strength after the accident that left him with scars across his back and chest, as seen in a Men’s Health cover shoot. He’s been candid about the physical and emotional toll, even apologizing to medical staff and neighbors for the “haunting images” of the incident. Yet, he’s grateful for the “army of people” who put him back together, from first responders to hospital staff. In a January 2025 Instagram post marking the second anniversary of his “ReBirthday,” Renner shared a photo with the doctors and nurses who saved him, writing, “My gratitude list is very long.”
The accident also influenced his career choices. Renner turned down a second season of Hawkeye, citing a lowball salary offer he felt was tied to his injuries—“Did you think I’m only half the Jeremy because I got ran over?” he quipped. Instead, he’s easing back into acting with projects like Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequel, Wake Up Dead Man, set for release in 2025, and Apple TV+’s Smoke, where he plays a troubled arson investigator. The Smoke trailer, with its fiery intensity and Thom Yorke’s haunting score, shows Renner diving into a gritty role that seems to echo his own resilience.
Fans have been moved by Renner’s story, with posts online praising his strength and calling his memoir a “testament to the human spirit.” Some have noted the irony of him starring in Smoke, a show about fire and chaos, after surviving such a traumatic accident. His co-star in Mayor of Kingstown, Michael Beach, even claimed Renner’s heart stopped during the ordeal, a detail that aligns with Renner’s own account of dying.
Renner’s experience has left him with a unique perspective: unafraid of death, fueled by purpose, and ready to take on new challenges. As he told Rolling Stone, the accident gave him “wonderful gifts” from being tested to his limits. With Smoke set to drop on June 27, 2025, and his memoir out now, Renner’s not just surviving—he’s thriving, proving he’s more than “half the Jeremy.” Fans can’t wait to see him light up the screen, scars and all, in what promises to be a triumphant return.