Jeremy Renner on Overcoming Aftermath of Near-Fatal Snowplow Accident: 'I Had So Many Things to Live for'

“I would have disappointed and really messed up a lot of people’s lives if I had passed,” said the actor

Jeremy Renner reflects on the last year of his life.

The actor, 52, appeared on CNN’s New Year’s Eve show Sunday night to talk with co-hosts Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen about his road to recovery over the past year following a near-fatal snowplow accident on Jan. 1, 2023.

When Cooper, 56, asked him what helped him through his “incredible battle,” Renner replied, “I’m so blessed to have so many things to live for, bro. I have a huge family, I have a 10-year-old daughter, [and] I would have disappointed and really messed up a lot of people’s lives if I had passed, so there’s a lot I could be better at.”

Noting then that he’s also a “pretty stubborn SOB,” the Marvel star continued, “There was a lot I had to fight for, and recovery was just a one-way street in my mind. My recovery became a relief for me, because I knew myself that I may give relief to my family, to my daughter, and to all those whom I have really affected. And to my poor nephew, who was with me that day, I have given him pictures which he can never unsee, but I know that my healing was would be healing for him.”

Added Renner, “Also, I never really thought about my physical ailments, my own pain, or my own anxiety. I had so many things to fight for, so the one-way road to recovery was my mental, sort of, attitude, and that attitude has always been to be better. There’s no other option than that. I’m still working on every part, every day, and thank God I have something to fight for.”

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Jeremy Renner.

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Renner broke more than 30 bones and underwent multiple surgeries after being run over by a plow while helping his nephew pull a stuck vehicle out of the snow on New Year’s Day on his property in Reno, Nevada, last year.

He has remained steadfast in keeping his social media followers updated on his recovery over the past year, including a post shared earlier this week in which he revealed he recently visited a hospital in Reno, Nevada, where he was treated for an accident a year ago.

Before that, in November, Renner shared a video on Instagram of himself working out outside to mark 10 months of recovery.

“I keep pushing for many reasons, but you are my fuel,” he wrote to his followers at the time.

Jeremy Renner says plow accident taught him ‘not to waste your life’: ‘It’s my duty’

Jeremy Renner. Venturelli/Getty

Renner, an avid musician at the height of his high-profile acting career, announced on Dec. 17 that he would release a “new music diary” titled “Wait” on New Year’s Day to mark the final year of his life. Representatives for the actor confirmed to PEOPLE that the release is a single.

“A new music diary — a story of life, death, recovery, all the things we’ve learned along the way,” he captioned the Instagram post, alongside what appears to be a cover of Renner with his arm around his daughter, Ava Berlin Renner, 10. while sitting on the dock overlooking the water surface. “‘Wait’ lights up January 1st. Can’t wait to share more with you. #waitforme #laketahoe LINK IN BIO ….”

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