Actor Jeremy Renner recently gave his first TV interview since a snow plow accident in January that left him with more than 30 broken bones and a collapsed lung. In the interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer, Renner detailed his recovery process, which has included transitioning from a hospital bed to a wheelchair, then to a walker, and now to a cane as he recovers at home in Los Angeles.
Renner recalled the details of his New Year's Day, which was meant to be a fun day of skiing with his family and devolved into several broken bones and a weeks-long hospitalization. The Marvel star attempted to pull his nephew's car from being stuck in the snow by using his more than 14,000-pound snow plow. The actor craned his body out of the large vehicle to check on his nephew, without setting the parking brake, and with a missed step fell under the tracks of the moving vehicle.
Renner's family, the neighbors who ran out to help, and doctors shared the details of the accident that changed the 52-year-old actor's life. Renner revealed that he was unable to speak while intubated but communicated to his family through sign language, signing "I'm sorry" to his family and later drafting a note on his phone once he was able.
The actor is still "relearning to speak again" with a broken jaw that is being held together with screws and rubber bands. Despite the trauma of the accident, Renner refuses to be "haunted" by the memory and is expected to make his first red carpet appearance on April 11 for the Los Angeles premiere of his Disney+ four-part series, "Rennervations." The show follows Renner as he renovates and recycles large vehicles to serve communities as mobile rec centers and mobile music studios.