Jeremy Renner Recalls Falling Asleep Filming ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ After Accident: “Worked Me Too Hard”

Jeremy Renner is sharing some unexpected physical challenges he faced once he returned to filming Mayor of Kingstown following his devastating snowplow accident.

The actor went back to work on season three of his Paramount+ drama one year after being run over by a snowcat at his home in Reno, Nevada, on Jan. 1, 2023. After being left with 30 broken bones and metal plates in his face, he also underwent months of recovery.

Once the show’s co-creator Hugh Dillion got permission from Renner’s mother for him to return to set, the actor officially went back to filming in January. However, he recently told the Los Angeles Times that he was met with some strange feelings surrounding the idea of returning to a fictional world amid his very real physical obstacles.

“To try to create some truth and then get the audience to believe it, while I’m just trying to learn to walk again, to put one foot in front of the other and not get up in agony. I’m doing all these things to find my footing on the planet again,” Renner said. “The idea of going into a fictional world — I have to be honest with you, I had to really consider, Is this something I really want to do?”

As he navigated those thoughts during production, The Avengers actor also had some other challenges to overcome, such as sometimes falling asleep while filming a scene.

“They go, ‘And action!’ And I was out. We realized they worked me too hard, too many hours, too many days in a row,” he said. “What I’m willing to do is everything, but what I’m able to do is a different thing.”

As a result, show producers worked with Renner to find a schedule that accommodated his needs, such as making time to stretch and exercise on set. The Hawkeye actor said he also remained in Pittsburgh throughout most of the four-month production, rather than flying back and forth to California, as jet lag added additional stress.

“They have to treat me like I’m a child actor,” he quipped. “The mayor of Kingstown is now like a 14-year-old.”

Despite his obstacles, Renner has continued to remain positive, even throughout his recovery journey, sharing uplifting messages on social media.

“I’m alive,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m walking through life with a smile on my face. And there’s nothing that’s ever going to change that. Nothing. It’s impossible for me to have a bad day.”