Jeremy Renner

Actor

• Born: January 7, 1971
• Place of Birth: Modesto, California

Contribution: Jeremy Renner is an actor best known for his Academy Award–nominated roles in the films The Hurt Locker (2008) and The Town (2010) as well as for his work in the blockbuster film Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol (2011) and the Avengers franchise films beginning in 2012.

Background

Jeremy Lee Renner was born on January 7, 1971, in Modesto, California, to parents Lee and Valerie Renner. He and his four siblings lived in a supportive household, although Renner himself led a somewhat rambunctious lifestyle, drinking and using drugs throughout his teenage years.

Renner attended Beyer High School and then Modesto Junior College. Although he explored a number of majors, including criminology and computer science, he soon developed an interest in the theater. Renner left school and moved to San Francisco, where he studied at the American Conservatory Theater before moving to Hawaii and ultimately to Los Angeles. When he arrived in Los Angeles, Renner starred in and codirected the critically acclaimed play Search and Destroy (1993).

Despite his success in the play, work in Hollywood was inconsistent. Renner landed a few small roles and supplemented his income by purchasing and rebuilding houses in the Los Angeles area. He remained focused on acting, however, and was able to land parts in television commercials and small roles on television programs.

Career

Renner had his first film role in 1995’s National Lampoon’s Senior Trip. Although the movie was not well received, Renner finally had a film credit to his name. He parlayed this accomplishment into more roles in television series and movies, including a notable appearance in the hit television series Angel in 1999.

Renner’s breakthrough came when he landed the title role in the independent film Dahmer (2002), despite not even having an agent at the time. His turn as the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer won him an Independent Spirit Award and gave him greater recognition at auditions. He went on to appear in the big-budget film SWAT (2003) and the drama North Country (2005), among other roles. In 2007, he played a lead role in the horror sequel 28 Weeks Later and a major part in the western drama The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Renner also caught the attention of director Kathryn Bigelow, who cast him as Sergeant First Class William James in her war drama The Hurt Locker (2008). The film was lauded by critics for its portrayal of a bomb-disposal team in the Iraq War, though it did not have a wide release or strong box-office performance. The film won the Academy Award for best picture, and Renner himself was nominated for best actor, though he ultimately lost to Jeff Bridges.

After a starring role in the short-lived ABC television series The Unusuals (2009) opposite Amber Tamblyn, Renner continued to build on his growing fame by appearing as Jem in the 2010 crime drama The Town. The film, directed by Ben Affleck, was both critically praised and commercially successful. In addition to a Golden Globe nod, Renner received his second Academy Award nomination, this time for best supporting actor.

In 2011, Renner appeared in Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, the fourth installment of the Tom Cruise action franchise. The movie was a critical success and cemented Renner’s reputation as both a skilled actor and an action star. He followed the success of Ghost Protocol by becoming the new face of another successful action franchise: Aaron Cross in The Bourne Legacy (2012), taking over from Matt Damon, who had played the titular Jason Bourne in the three previous films. Despite the pressure on both the new director, Tony Gilroy, and Renner, who was in his first leading role in a major studio film, the film received respectable reviews and led all other films during its opening weekend.

As The Bourne Legacy wound down in theaters, another film in which Renner played a role stormed the box office. The hugely successful superhero film The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, opened on May 4, 2012; on its opening weekend in the United States alone, the film earned more than $207 million. In it, Renner plays the Marvel Comics character Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, a skilled archer and member of the SHIELD organization who made his first appearance in a cameo role in a previous entry in the franchise, Thor (2011). Renner would reprise the role in subsequent films in the franchise.

In 2013, Renner was part of the star-studded cast of the Academy Award–nominated American Hustle. After portraying real-life investigative journalist Gary Webb in the historical drama Kill the Messenger in 2014, he played Hawkeye for the second installment of the Avengers franchise, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and also reprised his role as William Brandt for Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation in 2015. In addition to Hawkeye, along with other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making an appearance in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Renner had a leading role with Amy Adams in the Academy Award–nominated sci-fi drama Arrival (2016). Further proving his versatility, between 2017 and 2019 he appeared or starred in films including the drama Wind River (2017) and the comedies The House (2017) and Tag (2018). He also lent his voice to the character Swifty in the animated feature Arctic Dogs (2019).

After returning as Hawkeye for the fourth blockbuster Avengers film Avengers: Endgame (2019), Renner portrayed the character in a main role in the 2021 Disney+ television miniseries Hawkeye. In 2021, Renner also began starring in the hit television series Mayor of Kingstown.

Impact

Though he struggled in the industry for a decade before his breakthrough role in Dahmer, Renner quickly built on that success, establishing himself as a superstar who is able to carry both critically acclaimed dramatic films and blockbuster action franchises, in lead as well as supporting roles.

Personal Life

Jeremy Renner lives in Los Angeles. He has a daughter, Ava Berlin Renner, with supermodel Sonni Pacheco. Though the couple married in early 2014, Pacheco filed for divorce later that year. The divorce was finalized in 2015.

Bibliography

Freydkin, Donna. “Renner Didn’t Shoot to Fame—He Climbed.” USA Today, 20 Dec. 2012.

"Jeremy Renner." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm0719637/?ref‗=fn‗al‗nm‗1. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.

Jones, Chris. “The Unstoppable Rise of Jeremy Renner, Realtor.” Esquire Aug. 2012, pp. 76–82.

Katz, Jesse. “Call the Shots.” Men’s Health Sept. 2010, pp. 44–47.

Renner, Jeremy “The Bourne Legacy’s Jeremy Renner, Action Hero at Last.” Interview by Andrea Hubert. The Guardiana, 10 Aug. 2012, www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/11/bourne-legacy-jeremy-renner. Accessed 28 Aug. 2013.

Renner, Jeremy. “Bourne Legacy Star Jeremy Renner on Avengers Action and More.” Interview by Noelene Clark. Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2012. Jeremy Renner, www.jeremyleerenner.com/12-articles/106-august-6-2012-bourne-legacy-star-jeremy-renner-on-avengers-action-and-more-latimes-com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2021.

Renner, Jeremy. “Catching Up with . . . The Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner.” Interview by Josh Jackson. Paste, 4 Aug. 2009. Accessed 28 Aug. 2013.

Renner, Jeremy. “Actor Jeremy Renner on The Hurt Locker, Oscars.” Interview by Ramin Setoodeh. Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2010, www.newsweek.com/actor-jeremy-renner-hurt-locker-oscars-75163. Accessed 2 Apr. 2021.