Jeremy Renner still recalls being cheered up by one of his fellow Avengers after a serious accident landed him in the ICU.
The Marvel star was crushed by a snow plow on New Year’s Day in 2023, breaking at least 30 bones in the process. Renner said Saturday that laughter was the best medicine — especially when given by none other than Robert Downey Jr.
“We ended up having really great chats on FaceTime, like we were dating or something,” he told People on Saturday, adding: “He’s like, ‘Dude, the most important thing is you look good. I don’t care how you feel, as long as you look good that’s all that matters.’”
Downey urged him to recover so he could resume filming the Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown. “He’s like, ‘You’ve got to get back to do Mayor, because we need to see what happens,’” Renner said. “His ways are very heartwarming.”
The Hawkeye star became a real-life superhero after saving his relative from a Pistenbully snowcat that wouldn’t stop moving. Renner, who used the vehicle to pull his nephew’s truck out of the snow, reportedly tried to stop the plow when it started sliding downhill.
According to a report obtained by CNN from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, Renner was “immediately pulled under the left side track” of its tank-like wheel well. The 14,330-pound vehicle left Renner “completely crushed.”
The actor credited his daughter earlier this year for helping him recover, and he spent months in physical therapy, sharing his progress on social media. On New Year’s Eve 2023, he told Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen he was “ready” to get back to work.
Downey, who won his first Oscar last week, has had his own troubles and experiences with recovery. His wife Susan told People that he “really does believe in giving back,” to other actors, “and he does it through his actions.”
“It’s just an appreciation for all he’s gone through, for all the people who stuck around through some of his more difficult times,” she said.