'I'd do it again': Jeremy Renner gives emotional first interview since snowplough accident

Jeremy Renner says he sees a 'lucky man' in the mirror following his accident and miraculous recover

Actor Jeremy Renner says he "chose to survive" after being seriously injured in a snowplough accident, revealing in an emotional interview how he would "do it again" to save his nephew.

The Marvel actor was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries on January 1 after he was accidentally run over by his own six-tonne ploughing machine while trying to help his nephew.

In a teaser trailer for his first TV interview since the accident, with veteran US broadcaster Diane Sawyer, he says: “I chose to survive. You’re not going to kill me. No way."

The actor confirmed he broke eight ribs in 14 places, sustained multiple breaks to his legs and severe damage to his shoulder and face, due to the accident, which happened near his home close to the Nevada-California state border in the US.

He also had a lung collapse and a rib bone pierced his liver which left him wondering “What’s my body look like? Am I just going to be a spine and a brain like a science experiment?”

Despite the extreme damage to his body, Renner tells Sawyer: “I’d do it again. Because it (the snowplough) was going right at my nephew.” Asked if he sees the same face when he looks in the mirror now, he replies: “No, I see a lucky man.”

The programme will also feature interviews with Renner’s nephew and a recording of the 911 call following the accident.

When questioned if he would like to do Marvel stunts again, Renner, known for playing the bow and arrow-wielding Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, adds: “I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I’ve been refuelled and refilled with love and titanium.”

Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph, is set to be broadcast in the US on ABC News on April 6, ahead of the premiere of Renner’s new Disney+ series Rennervations.

Rennervations is an original four-part series that embraces the actor’s passion to give back to communities around the world by reimagining unique purpose-built vehicles to meet the needs of communities.

Earlier this month, Renner, also known for films such as The Hurt Locker and The Bourne Legacy, shared on his Instagram story a heartfelt message from his nephew in which he said he was “very lucky” to have an Avenger for an uncle.

“I am very lucky because my uncle is Hawkeye (one of the Avengers). I am also very lucky because my uncle is alive from his accident,” the note read. “Love my little man. Bless you Auggie,” the actor captioned the photo.

Just before the incident, the actor was using the PistenBully plough to help Alexander Fries, his nephew, free his car from the snow when the large vehicle began to roll down the hill.

He sustained injuries to his “torso, face, extremities and head” during the incident, a police report from Washoe county sheriff’s department said.

On January 4, three days after the incident, Renner told fans he was “too messed up” to send a longer message, posting a picture of himself in a hospital bed with a bruised face on his official Instagram page. “Thank you all for your kind words. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all,” he wrote.

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