Jeremy Renner ‘just doesn’t have the energy’ for demanding roles after snow plow accident

The actor discussed his ongoing recovery and its impact on his ability to take on challenging roles.

In a recent episode of the Smartless podcast, Jeremy Renner shared candid details about his recovery following a severe snow plow accident in January 2023. 

The actor, known for his role in The Mayor of Kingstown, revealed that he is not ready to take on demanding roles as he continues to heal from blunt chest trauma.

"I just don’t have the energy for it. I don’t have the fuel," Renner explained during the podcast hosted by Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Jason Bateman. 

"I have so much fuel to put into this reality, this body, all this stuff. I can’t just go play make-believe right now. Because that takes a lot of time to get right here every day just so I can have a positive thought, so I can progress, so I can always keep growing."

Renner, who recently began filming the third season of The Mayor of Kingstown, admitted feeling "very terrified" about returning to acting. "Because I’m to do, like, fucking fiction? I’m still trying to live in reality, I’m trying to live. So it was a hard line for me to cross. It was a big stretch. It was very, very challenging for me mentally to get over that hump."

The actor further elaborated on his struggles, noting that while he can manage familiar roles, more intense parts remain out of reach. 

"I still struggle with it sometimes to, like, I don’t take it super seriously. I’m in a character that I can do very well and I know the show very well, so it was easy for me to kind of slide back into it. But if it was a very challenging role, I couldn’t have taken it. 

“Not challenging in the sense that — because the show’s challenging, but it’s if I had to go play Dahmer or something, something so far from me."

Despite these challenges, Renner is set to join Daniel Craig in the next installment of the Knives Out saga. He has been cast in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, alongside Kerry Washington, Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Glenn Close, and Andrew Scott.