Jeremy Renner Talks to Emmy Magazine About His Miraculous Return to TV in Mayor of Kingstown
Not even a catastrophic accident could keep two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner from returning to television in the third season of Mayor of Kingstown. The lead of the Paramount+ drama, along with members of the cast and crew, talks with emmy about his triumphant return to set in the award-winning official publication of the Television Academy on sale now.
A California native who grew up loving sitcoms, Renner decided to follow his passion when he took an acting elective at Modesto Junior College. He built a reputation with roles in "Dahmer," "Lords of Dogtown" and "28 Weeks Later;" his breakthrough came in in 2008, with his performance as an explosive-disposal expert in the Iraq War drama The "Hurt Locker." The film won six Oscars — including Best Picture — and earned Renner his first Oscar nomination, widespread fame and, ultimately, the role of Marvel superhero Hawkeye.
In 2021, Renner was cast in Mayor of Kingstown, a gritty drama about America's corporate prison system from super-producer and co-creator Taylor Sheridan. In January 2023, after Renner completed the show's second season, a serious snowplow accident left him critically injured. With 38 broken bones, returning to the demanding series seemed like an impossible dream. "It wasn't until the summer that my recovery wasn't a 24-hour situation," he says. "Even then, the idea of doing fiction was so far away. I had to live my life in reality — the reality of what my life is and where I wanted it to be."
Despite the odds, it wasn’t long before Renner was back on set in the role of Mike McLusky, a power broker in a crime-ridden, blue-collar Michigan city. The dual Hollywood labor strikes last year provided the time he needed to heal. “It allowed me to be able to see myself step into that world again,” he said. And by the end of the year, he was preparing to don McLusky’s suits and ties.
Renner returned to set to a standing ovation. In the cover story, "Tragedy, Tenacity and Triumph," Renner's colleagues talk about his miraculous recovery. "The action stuff is still there, and he really hasn't missed a beat," says showrunner and executive producer Dave Erickson. "I'm in awe of what he has overcome," adds Sheridan. "Jeremy's commitment to his recovery is identical to his commitment to creating a character, which is to say, complete immersion. The distinction is, there is no requirement to overcome debilitating pain while creating a character."
While the actor's journey hasn't been easy, his relentless work ethic and support from his colleagues made all the difference. "The recovery was a lot quicker than anybody anticipated," he says. "I think my instincts kicked in, and my body was able to support it. It was pretty encouraging for everybody and gave me a lot of confidence as a man and as a performer."
In addition to his demanding acting roles, Renner is writing a book about the experience: "I want to get out the words while they're still in me. I want to share what happened, and I think it can help a lot of people looking for peace. I don't want anyone to feel alone. I can't wait to see what's revealed to myself while I do it."
Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:
- Blue Bloods, a top 10 broadcast drama since its 2010 debut, is in its 14th and final season. In "Extended Family," the cast talks to emmy about their long camaraderie as a family, both on- and off-screen.
- In "Keeping It Real" emmy explores the TV transformation of real-life historical figures. The specialists behind three limited series, Archie, Franklin and Griselda, share the unique challenges of creating the hair, makeup and costumes for an eclectic mix of characters, including iconic actor Cary Grant, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin and Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco.
- As the stop-motion comedy In the Know satirizes the NPR crowd, co-creators Mike Judge, Zach Woods and Brandon Gardner talk to emmy about the Peacock show's genesis in "Muse Radio."
About emmy
Emmy, the official publication of the Television Academy, goes behind the scenes of the industry for a unique insider's view. With wide-ranging, inclusive subjects representative of the Television Academy membership and the medium as a whole, emmy showcases the scope of television and profiles the people who make it happen, from the stars of top shows and artisans behind the cameras, to programming trends and technological advances. Honored with dozens of awards for editorial excellence, emmy is published 12 times per year and is available on selected newsstands and at TelevisionAcademy.com for single print and digital copies as well as subscriptions.
Download the press release here.
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Stephanie Goodell
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breakwhitelight for the Television Academy
