Happy Sad Confused - Jeremy Renner, Vol. III

Episode Date: May 8, 2025

Jeremy Renner is a survivor, an inspiration, an amazing actor, a superhero, and now an author! Her returns to the podcast to talk about all of it, his long road of recovery after a horrific accident, lessons learned, and what the future holds for him in Marvel and beyond. UPCOMING EVENTS Alexander Skarsgard in NY 5/12 -- ⁠tickets here⁠ Tony Gilroy in NY 5/14 -- ⁠⁠tickets here⁠⁠ Gary Oldman in LA 6/3 -- ⁠tickets here Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes, video versions of the podcast, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you're with Amex Platinum, you get access to exclusive dining experiences and an annual travel credit. So the best tapas in town might be in a new town altogether. That's the powerful backing of Amex. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more at Amex.ca. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is an eight-episode Hulu Original Limited series that blends gripping pacing with emotional complexity, offering a dramatized look as it revisits the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox for the tragic murder of Meredith Kircher and the relentless media storm that followed. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is now streaming only on Disney Plus.

go to the test the limits of the human body and the human spirit and someone else doesn't have to do that, you know, and then we could talk about it. That also, that exchange also is a beautiful, we got to do it together. And you don't have to die to do it. We can, right, we can just share this living experience beautifully. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Happy, Sad, Confused. I'm Josh, if you can see my background, that's my cute dog, Lucy, and that's really all you need to know. Oh, you should probably also know that Jeremy Renner is the guest on today's episode of Happy, Sad Confused.

He is back third time on the podcast, and this time talking about his new memoir, about the aftermath of that crazy incident two plus years ago that nearly made us lose, Jeremy Renner. He's back. He's doing great, and this is a really cool conversation. So that's the main event on the pod today. I do want to mention some really cool events, some of which have just been announced. So get in on this. All the information, as I always, go to patreon.com slash happy, say I'm confused for early access and discount codes and merch and all that kind of fun stuff. But get a load of this in terms of live events. The new one, let's lead with the new one that just got announced because this is really special.

I'm coming back to L.A. L.A. folks, mark your calendars. Get your tickets now. June 3rd with Gary Oldman. I am so excited to say that. Gary Oldman, kind of my favorite actor of all time, maybe? I don't know. He's certainly top three. He's a legend. I don't need to list the credits, but I'll list the credits. I don't know. From Sid Vicious to Jim Gordon to Sirius Black to Winston Churchill. This is just off the top of my head. We haven't talked about the professional or Fifth Element, slow horses. The man is a chameleon, a consummate professional, a sweet, sweet man, and a great interview. I've talked to him a couple times, but never for a live event in Los Angeles. This is only our second live Los Angeles event. So if you are in that area and have wanted to see me do my thing with a great guest, get in on it, guys.

June 3rd, 7 p.m. Yeah, it's going to be back at the Pine Arts Theater where we did our event with Tom Hittleston last year. Tickets are now on sale. The link is in the show notes. Come on out. Say hi to me and Gary. It's going to be huge. It's going to be awesome.

Okay. Can you tell I'm excited? I'm excited. Also, in New York, as always, I'm doing my thing. Lots of things coming up on next Monday night. I'm chatting with Alexander Scarsguard for his new series, Murder Bot. Always a delight. That'll be great.

And then next Wednesday night, we're going to be chatting all things Star Wars with Tony Gilroy, Andor, talk about great shows. Doesn't get any better than that. So that'll be right after the finale of Andor as well. So come on out if you're a Star Wars fan, if you're in New York and you want to see me do my thing and hear about Star Wars. This is the time. I think those are the major things. Okay, so yes, a little more context for Jeremy Renner before we get into that.

Spent kind of a day with Jeremy last week on his, it was actually the day of the release of his book he was in new york for 36 hours uh basically and came in to do a couple talk shows to do the podcast we also did a live event which was really cool that wasn't recorded as far as i know but it was um at grammercy uh theater in new york city with a really um that was a really emotional one that was crazy i mean this is look this is a book about jeremy dying He says he died. He died on New Year's Day, 2023. This 14,000 pound snow cat just tramples him as he's trying to save his nephew. And as you can imagine, his body was a wreck, an absolute wreck. It's a miracle that he is, he is alive and he is functioning and he is can kick my ass. Like, it's kind of amazing. Um, and this book is really, you know, it definitely feels it's certainly emotional and and sad at times and, but also very honest and inspiring and funny.

It retains his sense of humor. So, uh, and it's a quick read too, by the way. So check it out. It's called My Next Breath. Um, and yeah, this conversation will serve as a good, you know, sense of what it's all about. but um really interesting read anyway uh this conversation is great we talk a lot about the accident the aftermath the recovery um but also we do hit upon some fun movie stuff of course talk about

his marvel past present and future his knives out appearance for those that saw my podcast with him a year ago he was one of those bastards that lied to me lied to my face i asked him about if you don't remember glass onion there's a joke in there where uh The Jeremy Renner hot sauce figures heavily into the plot. And I mentioned that to him and said, like, you screw yourself, dude. You can't be in a Knives Out movie, obviously, because it's canon. Jeremy Renner exists. He laughed at a great response.

And then less than two days later, it was announced in all the trades that Jeremy Runner was cast in the new Knives Out movie. So we reckon with that lie. Just as I reckoned with Lewis Pullman's lies last week, this is what we do around here. Hollywood, actors, you are accountable for the lies you tell me. Anyway, yeah, lots of good stuff in this one. Enjoy my conversation with Jeremy Renner. Mr. Jeremy Renner, it's good to see you, buddy. Yeah, good to be seen, brother.

This is kind of an opening day for you. A little bit of a different opening day. Yeah. We're talking about your book. Yeah. Congratulations. I know. How about that?

My next breath is the book. Yeah, is this compare it all to like, would you rather be talking about Hansel and Gretel too? than a memoir about the most horrific times in your life. Yeah, this is a wonderful, wonderful sort of new thing, you know, to talk nonfiction, to, first of all, I have something to write about, you know. It's one thing good about dying.

I have something to write about. I'm not interesting all of a sudden. You wrote it's interesting. This is particularly interesting, I will say that. Particularly interesting, yeah, yeah. How would you overcome it, right? I think people try to put themselves in maybe my place, maybe it makes it interesting.

But yeah, it's a wonderful milestone sort of celebration of life and love. And like I was saying earlier to you, it's like, you know, normally it's promoting a movie. You've got to be sort of quiet about things. I'm going to spoil things. It's the opposite. We know the ending already. I've read it. I've read it.

And we know the ending. So you can go through the, it's quite harrowing and dramatic in its own sort of truths. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and here it is in front of you. You know, there's something kind of hopeful about it. It's going to be a source of hope for a lot of people. It's really well done. I hear you, also, I hear you hear you throughout this. Like some memoirs you read it, you're like, how much were they really behind the typewriter or whatever talking? This feels like, I hear your voice when I'm reading this.

So for good or for bad. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But talk to me, man. I mean, look, this has obviously been very well documented. That being said, like reading this, I discovered a lot I didn't know. It's intense, though. It's intense for you, number one, to like really go into the minutia of what happened. I don't know, did you kind of know what you were getting into?

It must have been a momentous decision for you to say, yes, I'm going to double down. I'm going to really commit to telling this story and think it through. Yeah, there's a lot of things that happened, brother, during the recovery. I mean, very, early on initially, there was like ideas of like just sort of capturing all of it just on video to make so maybe a document. Like all this stuff was like talked about. Yeah. And ultimately did nothing. And like, you know what, I think I'm just going to, it requires 100% of my energy.

100% of every minute every day to get better. I can't even have any, I can't have an idea of like it's a wait to do, you know, I'm not, you know what I mean? So, but the idea of a book did come up early on of maybe a being kind of a healing sort of cathartic process and then I just thought it was too overwhelming. It was that first summer, the first six months after the incident. And I considered doing it but then I'm like, I'm never done before. I'm not an author.

It might have been too early on and things and lessons learned so far. I don't know. It was just a little overwhelming for me. But then I kind of, but I did write an album about it. Right. So I did music, music. Then once the book idea came around, sorry. You want to get some?

Yeah, yeah. Thanks. Okay. Okay. 45 minutes. I don't want you choking for the next. If there's one thing I've worn. breathing is important to you yeah so yeah so the book idea was um it's always an

interesting idea but then once we found an idea of how we can do it and get so there was a ghostwriter helped me sort of with the structure of it so I've never written a book so he was great at that because there are a thousand different ways to do this and what yeah and then it was how to focus on it so just about the accident and then maybe pontificate how or why I was prepared or not prepared and so it came in a series of just sort of chats like we would chat like we're doing today. Right.

And the things that will come up, and as I would explain to fresh ears about, you know, the incident or the things learned and it's all very fresh in my body and my mind, even still is to this day. It doesn't really go away. And so that part was the easier part, I suppose. It's two, three, four hours every day, just sitting and talking, writing on my own, notating the dictaphone sort of thing and have translated. that helped a lot speed up the process and then so it's like six months of doing that you know

then also did a lot of talks to schools and to companies and just about the kind of experience and I'm all gathering more data more information more knowledge of what's seeded in my brain and my soul my spirit and my cells you know because unless I talk about it it's just kind of living in it and otherwise if I didn't share it it was just I was just going to keep getting better and that's going to live there so it was really really good. important for me to kind of put it out and be on a tangible thing like a book. It's tangible. It exists. Even when I die, that still exists. This conversation's dead after I stopped talking, you know? So there was something fascinating about that narrative and exploring writing a book.

I would also imagine just in the course of talking about it over and over again, you're almost like recalling things. Maybe you didn't even remember you recalled. Like, because it is such a traumatic event. I'm actually, frankly, surprised you remember as much as you do. But I guess just going through the motions of like talking it through, did things like kind of emerge through conversation that you didn't even realize you remember? Yeah, yeah, because you're not talking about it in real time. You know, living through it in real time is one thing, but you didn't have time six months, let's say, or whatever, two months or three months or a year. In between it, you can, you're reflecting back on it and sharing it in great detail, mind you. I had to go like, it's a minute, and it was great.

And thanks to the ghost writer to really kind of engage in a real. We know, you just go, let me go second by second then. You really want to get into this, buddy? I'm like, all right, I'm going to give you second by second. I'm going to give you every sound, what it sounds like, have your skull crunched, right? He's like, okay, we're going there. We got the first, he's like, it's 45 minutes on the ice.

And I think it took us like two hours to get through the first five minutes on the ice. I'm like, let's take a break. Come back tomorrow. We're both like sobbing, like, white knuckling through this thing. But in doing it in reflection and not in the, real time, like I was saying it in real time, you unearth like, you know, like civilizations of information, right? This data of like, like that's where the idea of Lamaz came in, right?

That, he's like, you didn't think there would be a particular interesting topic to bring into my next breath as the book? Well, okay. Well, this connects to your mom to explain this. Yeah, so Lamaz, Lamaz is a breathing technique to use to mitigate pain in when you're giving birth, when it gives birth. My mom took me into to learn LaMaz, but not really to do that, she just needed to look after me. You're not going to soccer practice, put down your cleats, grab a pillow, and we're going to go to the YMCA.

My God, what are we doing? What's going on? And they're laying on the ground with a bunch of other ladies and, you know, we're doing these breathing techniques. It's like the weirdest thing ever. And you know, I thought that was kind of odd and boring at the time until the screen came. comes down, and then we're watching like this midwife birth at home, this lady's in the bathtub, water's exploding out of this thing.

And I'm like, wow, it's like horrified, traumatic. But knowing that, you know, the 12-year-old mind, the trauma that came from that quickly realizing, you know, that we were teaching, we're using these breasts and when I learned what those breaths were for, I always thought it was really special with her belly and the thing and learning about, you know, really where babies come from in a really real-time way.

And I was the firstborn son of seven kids. So it was a very special moment for me and my mom. And then not knowing what Lamah's breathing really meant to me, not till later on in life, as a young man, it became important, like conscious breath, became a very important thing, how powerful, conscious breath is that stemmed from Lamas. So unearthing that story in sharing what happened

under the snow cat, became essential as a foundation for this book and tying in all you know the bread crumbs that led me to this that moment under under the snow cat right because that's the whole thing it's not just about this moment in time it just connects to everything I mean what do you remember telling your mom by the way at a certain point like by the way you know yeah yeah you taught me no for sure yeah early on I was probably 20 years old or yeah when I moved to LA and I was studying psychology more I was doing therapy and using breath work and doing all

this stuff and it became very important and very essential and I used I mean I made placards that said don't forget to breathe my flip phone said on the screen said don't forget to breathe that's because the conscious breath for me as an auditioning helped me like not get nervous right I used it to mitigate all my anxiety and fears that way and I told mom like this is like so important and I And did relay back. There was kind of the biggest, most important thing that my mom ever gave me.

I may let her know to a very young age because I know how special that was for her and I. That she didn't do that with any of her kids. Crazy. Because I'm her favorite. So that begs the question. Yeah, obviously, obviously. So this begs the question.

So where are you at on fate? Are you a believer in like things are meant to be for a reason? Mom taught me Lamas out of all the kids. I was the one on that snow cap. that day, I had a story to tell people. No, I don't know, man. If it's, fate is like, is it predestined, you know, I don't, I don't think life is predetermined.

I think life is just a remedial version of our spirit. This, there's a lot, it's a very limited, life is very limited in, in this body, on this spinning rock, you know. So I think this is just a, a, a trance, Truman Show version of our spirit. Yeah. And so, no, I don't think it's predetermined.

I just think it's experiential and it's a beautiful learning process. During the Volvo Fall Experience event, discover exceptional offers and thoughtful design that leaves plenty of room for autumn adventures. and see for yourself how Volvo's legendary safety brings peace of mind to every crisp morning commute. This September, leased a 2026 XE90 plug-in hybrid from $599 biweekly at 3.99% during the Volvo fall experience event. Condition supply, visit your local Volvo retailer or go to explorevolvo.com. When your investors, customers, and workers demand more from your business, make it happen with SAP.

AI-powered capabilities of SAP can help you streamline costs, connect with new suppliers, and manage payroll, even when your business is being pulled in different directions. To deliver a quality product at a fair price while paying your people what they're worth, too, so your business can stay unfazed. Learn more at SAP.com slash uncertainty. I feel like the most Jeremy Renner thing in this book is what you said, your last potential words, as this was. all going down what you what did you scream as you were not today motherfucker exactly yeah yeah so i wasn't yeah well i was going to have my nephew die like it wasn't he wasn't i'm not going to let him get crushed you know it's not happening it's not happening no way and i'd do it again yeah for that reason you know it's just there's no way no way out of my dime not of my time not of my

responsibility i'm not doing this to him so this must have deepened and changed so many different relationships in your life everyone every single one so I mean, we talked last time when we spoke a year ago. You talked about like Mackey being one of the first people to come by. Obviously, your family's around. Yeah. And the book you talk about Paul Rudd. Yeah, yeah.

Rudd literally gets in bed at the hospital? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He came visit me twice. Yeah, that's awesome. So how has that changed? I don't know, how has that deepened different relationships in your life? All of them, you know, the, again, it's just, it's that, it didn't just happen to me. Right.

You know, it's, and what happened to me is beautiful. And the beautiful things happen to everybody else too. The deepening of the love, the deepening of the understanding of their own fertility of their life. Everybody can have a different perspective. And I don't go into asking everybody how their lives has changed beyond our relationship, but I know it does. I know it does. If it changes ours, it changes, you consider things differently. I got to go to the test the limits of the human body and this human spirit.

And someone else doesn't have to do that. And then we could talk about it. That also, that exchange also is a beautiful, we got to do it together. And you don't have to die to do it. We can just share this living experience beautifully. And the depth of love that already had my family ran deep and it's just, you know undeniable you know and and that bleeds into every other relationship I've had and and no matter how much time I've spent with somebody or not it's it it's it's

when you're laying in a hospital bed with somebody and it's just it's such the greatest form of intimacy you could really kind of have right strips away all the bullshit it's just sort of like you're just like you can't you're just there yeah in the moment yeah yeah and it's it's it's a way All that is, it's demonstrative of love. That's all it is, and that's all that matters, and that's all you take with you. So all these love moments, right, that's the only thing I'm going to put myself in, in sort of places to where love can exist as the star of the room, as the star of the conversation, as the star of every action I do.

Like love has to coexist or be the fuel behind it all. Otherwise, what am I doing? Because I'm not taking it with me. So like I'm just on borrow time doing something that it's not valuable. So I find it's such a lightness in the perspective, in sharing the perspective with loved ones, and sharing the love with loved ones, sharing it with you, you know, you would be a loved one. And it's a beautiful, beautiful, pure space to be. And it's again, forever changed.

Or simplified. I don't think it's changed. It's only simplified and clarified. Right. For me and for others in my life. It seems like you were already kind of that guy. Yeah. That's right.

That's why it's not changed. It's not changed. But it has even just honed it even like laser focused. Yeah, yeah. I don't have time. What are we doing here? Correct. Let's talk about human connection and love and not worry about the,

I didn't get a venty when I want the Grande. That's right. That's right. Well, that's really annoying. Exactly. Or, you know, when we get to that place, let's take a moment, take a breath maybe, and zoom out a little bit and find out what's really important here. Where's the real value?

Let's not stress about these sorts of things in life. It's just not worth it. And something I always connect with you about is your sense of humor. We talked about, you know, kind of gallows humor during this whole incident, as you call it. Hallucinations you talk about. Why is Jamie Fox in your dreams? Yeah, of all the people, Jamie Fox pops up. Yeah, yeah, because during my recovery, he got into a situation.

And I knew about that. I mean, when you're sitting in a hospital bed, but even though I'm at home, you're kind of, you know, your computer's there all the time. It's just kind of my form of entertainment on my phone. Sorry. And so, yeah, I heard about his incident. So, yeah, he became, and he's a friend of mine, too. So I just had a lot of dreams about him, sort of in awake dreams as well.

We were doing lots of things. We're snowmobiling. Me and Jamie were like, we were having lots of chats. Hotsie cotton, high as a kite type of chats. But I think it was just sort of a way to sort of kind of connect and, you know, it's a lonely space when you're laying into bed and recovering. No matter how much love you have around you and support you have around you and great doctors and just, you know, everything, you know, a lot of support, of support it's still me that has to get better yes and no matter if there's a physical therapist there they do this you know you still have to do it you still have to be the force

behind it all and so it's a lonely space so the jamie fox of it all is because he was in he's like in the hospital bed next to me even though he wasn't right right so i just i really would i'd have dreams about him and i'd have waking dreams and talking to him as he was like in the hospital room with me and um and share because we're on the same we're in the same boat yeah right so that's That's why Jamie Fox sort of came up into the narrative of my recovery, high or not. Right. I'm talking about kind of being, yes, you're surrounded by love, but also being in your own head, there's a lot of time to think about what life is even going to be, like, because

it's a long recovery and it's, as we talked before, it's a lifelong recovery. This is not, there's no end point to this. And you must have spent a lot of time thinking about, like, what is this life physically going to be, what am I going to be capable of? Can I walk? Can I run? Can I hug my daughter? Yeah.

I don't know. I mean, did you... Any time those questions came up, the answer came very quickly. And most time the answer didn't matter. Yeah. It's just... The answer is, it doesn't matter. Whatever like is, it's going to be alive.

It doesn't fucking matter. The answer is it doesn't matter. It doesn't have value. So far in the future, you got to put a foot down first, and then another foot in front of it, and then again, and then you're walking. So get a foot down first, then think about where you're going to be walking to. You know what I mean? you're going so that's where I was because everything was busted so I had to

start in a very very simple simple space all the time no matter I of course I would consider all the things in life you know it was my gonna you know early on there's different stages of like it might just gonna be a petri dish like am I just gonna be like on a on a machine and all that sort of stuff then it's to you know all the things and every time I would get ahead of myself with these questions it's quickly doesn't matter yeah slow down here I'm doing good right I keep it simple and I over's working yeah yeah yeah I mean oversimplify life keep it simple yeah and keep moving forward keep you know you setting goals for

myself setting like milestones or and not reach too far so it keeps my confidence up high I mean just doing this to myself whatever I can do because in there's because there's setbacks you're gonna get setbacks and you need to stay confident you need to stay positive no one's gonna be your cheerleader and be like you're doing great. I'm like, if I don't feel like I'm doing great, then I don't care what you've got to say. You know what I mean?

I have to love myself enough to put myself in a position to get through the hardships and the obstacles ahead of me. And I continue to do that. And I helped by not looking too far ahead, simplifying my life and giving myself, put myself in a place to succeed. And it gets better. You can zoom out, right?

As I get healthier and I get stronger and mentally, physically, spiritually, I can take more things in. And note that there will be setbacks, that it's not a straight line. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it is a forever thing, right? And I accepted that. That was a hard pill to swallow while I'm like getting through my stages of like,

oh, I'm getting up, now I'm sitting up. So when does this end again, guys? Yeah, my mom asked that to my physical therapist, been the next room. And I was on a walker at that point. I was on like a treadmill called the Boost treadmill that kind of lifted a lot of my body weights so I can walk proper without all my body weights. so I could walk faster, you know, that kind of thing.

And I heard them saying, you know, so when do you think he's going to fully recover? And he says, like, he'll be doing this for the rest of his life. Yeah. And that gut punch to that. Had they said that to you that or that was kind of like? No, they didn't say it to me. Wow.

No, I didn't say it to me. And I was like, ah. And he's like, you know what? He's right. He's right. But it just won't be in this form. It'll be in a different form. I'll recover. I'll be 150%.

But I just had, what he meant by that. and I know here because I know so well, is that I'm going to have to attend to these joints and these issues and these tendons and all these sort of things. I'm like, well, yeah, and also 54 now, I'd have to do it anyway. Well, I was gonna say, by the way, that's not unique to you.

That's called the human experience. That's right, you know what I mean? That's just called getting old, man. You gotta stretch? You're like, okay. I'm not feeling so good right now. And now it's just a primary, you know, primary sort of focus on my life and then it needs to be.

So again, thankfully I got run over by that snow cat. Because now I use that as a, as a primary sort of focus of my life is my physical health and I'll live a happier life because of it and I really shouldn't because I got crushed and I'm titanium but I just I just make it a focus for me and and that's also hard too brother to to give focus on me as a father as someone as a caregiver as the oldest of seven in my family and I look after a lot of people and it's always everyone else sort of first and because I don't really need much so I don't I mean I'll do

stuff for me but yeah I don't really need much man you know I brush my teeth and you know get some sleep that's about all you know what I need so it's also interesting that you know I have this conversation with actors all all the time about what they're defined by like what's what's gonna be the first line of their obituary and you've rewritten what it eventually will be 50 years from now because like you know there must have been there was a time where it's like you know from Hawkeye whatever two-time Oscar nominee right right it's also gonna be now you know survivor inspiration the guy that survived

that insane incident yeah um i mean where are you at with that like that's it sounds like that's probably almost a source of pride for you now that you are as well known for what you've meant to other people as the acting well that when that's another you know great gift again that came from it as well you know obviously not wanting this to be a private this is a very private moment that happened in my life yeah and it happened on my drive with my nephew and it's a private family experience and it unbeknownst to me you know as I was out for it it became quite quite a big news thing you know and it wasn't private about it and I'm glad it wasn't if I had the choice in it you know if I was on the eye saying hey do you want anybody to know about this I'm like fuck no

you got some duct tape for this eye but good at me no one'll notice right but then I'm so glad that it was kind of forced upon me and forced my hand to make this a shared experience. Because in doing so, the public opened the avenue for, we're interested in you as a man and not what you do for a living. Right. Or what you're overcoming, the obstacles you're overcoming those hurdles. And humanized, they humanized me.

I was already human. I'm just a kid from Modesto, California. And that's one of the more beautiful things that ever happened. And it's created a great relationship to be famous for something that I am and not that I do. Right. And it's pretty exquisite and I sleep really well at night having that. I feel much more vulnerable in life. I don't have to have a dual life or feel like I have to or put on a face or I can just be and I feel

I feel accepted or, you know, at least seen and witnessed in the right way, you know. It's also, this is a momentous time. Not only are we of the publishing date for this book, 30 years of screen acting. Yeah. Think about that. Yeah. 30 years ago, I don't know if this was the official debut, but National Lampoons. Yeah.

What was it, dazed? Senior trip. Senior trip. Excuse me, excuse me. Excuse me. It's the one German runner movie I have not studied. That was my first time on camera. That was my very first job.

I looked back at the photo, by the way. He looked more like a Dawson's Creek lead. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Beautiful, wavy, blonde hair. Yeah, that's my James Vanderbighed, you know. Were you like upper CW shows? Was that your way?

Here, this is the 90s. Look at Matt Damon at that time. We had the same hair. True. That's right. And we're all doing pretty well, I think. Both became born characters. Yeah, there you go.

You know to me a little bit of just like on the acting side. So like through this 30-year journey, you know, we've talked about different moments in that career, you know, whether it's Dommer or Hurt Locker. Yeah. The one two punch I always think about is those two Oscar nominations. Oh, yeah. Two years in a row. Crazy.

Was it crazy at the time? Like two Oscar ceremonies? I don't know necessarily, like, you know, by then you kind of know who's going to win or not. But like, what do you remember about going to the Oscars back-to-back years and kind of being officially invited to the club? Well, that, well, that was great. I just remember being pretty exhausting. You're you're gallivanting around the planet a lot.

I mean, it was a full-time job in itself, you know, it's out there campaigning, going to so many screenings and so much. Well, so many things. You're not sleeping very much. I got great advice from Charlize, who I had worked with on the North Country, yeah. And she had great advice, and she just sort of like, you know, just kind of enjoy each moment. Don't, because it's overwhelming, it's lots of pressing at you. There's a lot of attention coming at you.

and it's something like it's stuck with me and um it just stayed very very pure in that moment if i you know the carpets right the thing all the microphones let's stay i'm like i'm with this person i'm not worried about anything else who has pulled me and talk to me and da-da i'm going to talk with you spend my time with you and just be honest as i can't and then move on to the next yeah nice talking with you right we might as well be just to be learning about your recovery again this is the same conversation yeah it's the same kind of thing yeah it's the same kind of thing to remain very very very very precedent so you don't get overwhelmed with it because it can be like anything applies to in that in with the book the same kind of thing oversimplifying

and keep it simple and um they can get you through some of those times and it was it was a glorious time i got to take my mom's my date both years like how cool is that again i'm her favorite we get it okay oh my goodness Benjamin Moore retailer is more than a paint expert. There's someone with paint in their soul. A six cents honed over decades. And if you have a question about paint, it's almost as if they can read your mind.

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When you think back of the early days, when you first met with Feigy and the Marvel gag, how much of a roadmack did he give you? Like, did you know, you couldn't have known exactly what you were getting into, but like... No, really, no. What we had is like, you know, there's Iron Man's, I think there's a couple Iron Man's around at the time. Right. And I was like, I'm a huge fan of that. I was a downing and what they did, they made it so kind of plausible almost, right? So I'm like, this is great. And then I was a little concerned because my, what I told him was like, look, I get the Iron Man thing. and how you made that sort of realistic.

Like, how are you going to make Favio with a hammer fly around and make that interesting? I don't get it. Before, Thor. So they were making that. They were laughing or whatever. And they showed you a picture of Hemsworth. They're like, okay, I get it.

Exactly. Exactly. And then, but they were showing me sort of the version of the Avengers of Hawkeye that were a little bit more sort of tactile and not the guy with the purple shorts and the purple things and the things, right? I'm like, okay, maybe I can grab onto that. is a more grounded type of superhero.

There's no superpowers. Okay, I kind of like that. So I just kind of went into that, but no idea kind of where it's going. Just sort of, you know, go do the Thor thing. I just made the quick appearance in Thor. Crazy. And they still couldn't figure out, you know,

that I'm left-handed, so they gave me the wrong bow, so I'm not having to do it the wrong way. Even in the First Avengers, they still gave me the wrong. I'm like, God, you're not figuring this out yet? You know? I'm left-handed. Did you have second thoughts? I mean, I remember way back when,

you weren't so thrilled with how they used you, obviously, at First and Avengers. Well, the first Avengers, well, only because, like, I'm trying to figure out the character. Yes. And they take the character away, like, in the first scene I do. I've become, like, Loki Zombie. Yeah. You know, and it becomes a bad guy.

Yeah. It's like, oh, man, I didn't get to find out anything about my character whatsoever. You got there. It took a little time. It took a minute, right. So, yeah. No, but, yeah, and it sort of, it was so, and it's also a long process, you know, making movies and it takes a year to make it, and, you know, it's time to come out, and you do another one.

It's, like, I'm still, by the second Avengers, I'm still trying to figure out. I think I'm still trying to figure out Hawkeye, you know? But you don't get those opportunities in sort of serial movies like this, right? Everyone's fighting for five minutes. Yeah, yeah, especially on big ensembles as well. So there's not a lot of opportunity to grab onto a lot of data in this world. It's a very foreign world to me, too, the whole superhero world and the comic world. And I always wanted to do it justice and give a truth and make it fun.

And that camaraderie and that cast is just the greatest thing in it, you know. One thing I was surprised by relating to the book is, like, you talk, the way you put it is that you kind of say to Marvel, I'd like to step away. Like, that you kind of said to them, it's okay for me to step away from the Avengers movies. Like, was there a point where you sort of said to Foggy and Company, like, I need to focus on other things? I mean, obviously you did the Hawkeye series, so like you've been active still in recent years. But I don't know, has that been in conversation with Marvel? No, I think it's more the willingness to step away from things. Okay. Because my daughter's a priority. And if I'm not going to, it's not even a choice. Like, I'm going to be a father to my daughter. And like, if they're going to keep shooting in London or da-da-la, I'm like, it's just not going to work.

I had to walk away from Tom Cruise, the Mission of Possible. You know, sadly, and I love Tom. I love doing those movies. So fun, but I couldn't. I had to really be a dad. They're still shooting seven and eight right now. I just talked to the way with one of the stunt guys. And like, it took five years.

I'm like, I have to be a dad. I can't go do that, right? And God bless them. And I love that. I wish I could do that. I just don't. I love the choice I made. I love being a dad. It's the best role I've ever had and always will have. And nothing compares to it. And when you leave life with that sort of clarity, then I'll take the breadcrumbs of whatever rolls I get. And by the way, they're not bad breadcrums. You're doing all right. Yeah, yeah. We'll get to one in particular at a second, by the way.

I'm still able to work and still be a dad. And that's, and now as you a little bit older, I can make better choices. Do different choices to. Yes. Yeah, so maybe I could do a Hawkeye again and other things, and she gets a little bit more involved. Right, right. And she's more autonomy. She's going to be a teenager before you know it. He's 12 now, yeah. So she's really kind of into her friends more than dad.

I saw your eyes go dead just for a second. Yeah, it's all right. She'll be back. She'll be back. Okay. Let me ask you a couple tough questions you can bat away. There are rumors that there's going to be another season of Hawkeye, and it might be kind of raid style, single location, Clint's brother. any truths of these rumors?

Maybe some of that's true in there. I don't know. We got into it a little bit, sort of storywide and stuff and actually just doing another season. And everyone's interested in it. I'm like, yeah, yeah, of course, man. I would want to say to know to that. I think there's a lot of ideas that they still

get to figure a lot of things out. And I'm always game to do it, man. It's a fun world. and I love being a part of it. And also, really selfishly, it's, to me, it's, I like the currency of doing it because what it means to the kids in the foundation that I run. That's huge.

Yeah, so it's the cool factor in keeping that pretty relevant in their minds, you know, because you can kind of age out, these kids get all there, and the new kids come in, they're like, who's this guy? Why doesn't you have a bow and arrow? I'm a thunderbolt fan. Wait a second.

Get out of here, hang on. But they say, like, you know, it's the cool factor of being a really strong voice for these kids and the face for these kids and give them a sense of pride that, you know, this sort of maybe unreachable type of characters now here at our camp and running the camp with us. Yeah. Yeah, you know, so to me, that's what it, how special the Marvel universe is for me is access to reach the kids. Totally. And that's the real, real value currency for me. Well, I look forward to seeing you in the second season and Secret Wars. Oh, I'm just going to say.

Are you casting? I'm authorized by the Russo's to make you an offer at the smoke. They're all busy. They think they started production, didn't they? They did, they just started. Don't pretend like you don't know what's going on. I just saw this post. I don't know anything.

I don't. You know I'm a good liar, but I do know. Okay, let's get to that. So we had a great conversation about a year ago. So great. I was joking with you about your hot sauce cameo. That's right. That's right.

And I said, the one downside, Jeremy, thinking I'm so smart. One downside, obviously, is you can't be in a Knives Out movie because it's canon. Jeremy Renner is in that universe. And you laughed it away, like, oh, you're so right. I know. About 48 hours later, hit deadline, Jeremy Renner asked. Glenn said. So, do you want to apologize?

What do you want to say for yourself? No, I couldn't break it? You know, it'd break my legs, man. Someone else had to break the news. Is that, is it explained that, like, do you? to resemble Jeremy Renner in the film. I don't think, Ryan can't just not acknowledge that that Jeremy Renner doesn't exist in this universe

and that you're playing a character in this universe. I can't say anything. Yeah, I can, yeah, I can. I don't know how he's using it or not using. I don't know. Okay, I don't know. He's, he's such an interesting guy, Ryan. He's such a, he's such a great, smart dude.

Yeah, so smart. Way too nice for as smart as soon as, yeah, yeah, yeah, that too, that too. Yeah, and it's a guy, Nothing ruffles with feathers. But I think it's because when you know what you want, it's like, all right, fine. You get the white noise away and kind of.

So it's pretty interesting. Without revealing anything, I mean, the ensemble is awesome. What was it like, you know, you got Brolin, got Glenn Close, you got, obviously, Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor. What was it like to mix it up with that cast? Yeah, that was the exciting part of being able to do it, right? It was the main reason to do that. And obviously, work with Ryan, and what a great blessing dude.

It's really excited to, I want to see it. I'm just excited to see. It's, it's, it's like a Marvel movie, really, because I don't know what the heck I did. It's a big ensemble, right? Well, you've read the full script. Yeah, maybe. Maybe.

Did I? Did you? I don't know. What's there a script? Did I say anything? I don't know if I say anything in the movie. Let's see. I think it's a silent film.

Sure, what a jerk. There is no script. There are scripts to Kingstown. I think. You're in the middle of the series. I don't read those out. How's it going? Because when I spoke to you at the end last season, you talked about that was the first

kind of big acting chunk you'd done after the accident. That was a tough one. That was a tough road. So what was it like this next, you're in the middle of it now, but how's it been physically, emotionally, mentally? Do you have your bearings back as an after you feel? Yeah, yeah. It's a lot, much more mental acuity.

You know, all my focus still is on, you know, I'm in Pittsburgh to recover, get better, get stronger. But it was like I had my hemoglobin levels and my blood were two like that's blood of a dead man And it sounds like a movie wake up dead man Yeah, there's that's a blood of a dead man Knives out four this man should be dead Yeah, so yeah it's a less fragile This this go around the season and

So I feel like I have a lot more personality on set or just in in life. It's not just a hundred percent focus on just getting physicality getting feeling terrible or you know it takes a lot of mental attention to every joint and I don't know it was a lot but this year's is much stronger much much happier I got a challenge for you I did this recently for the first time with Jack Black who I can only do this with people that have amazing filmographies that can justify this I'm going to give you the ultimate Jeremy Renner power rankings of films you can have to choose among your

own films oh you can base it on anything you want just get the answers can change tomorrow, but for today, for instance, if I pit Hurt Walker or Dahmer, which do you choose? Hurtlacher. Okay, I'm going to keep going. The Town or Wind River? Wind River. Avengers Endgame or Ghost Protocol? Endgame.

Born legacy or a rival? Aye, aye, aye. I'm going to, I'll go with a rival just for, as what it means. for as what it means in film and now they're pitted against each other hurt Walker versus Wind River I'll go Wind River and then we have endgame or arrival I'll go end game and for all the marbles Jeremy it's going to be end game or Wind River who wins the Jeremy River I have to go with any game just because how culturally significant that is you know and it required so many

people and so many films to make that 22 films to make that 23rd film and you know the grossing money and all that sort of stuff but like the the outcome of that you know to be able to weep and laugh and I mean we all know what that movie is right it's it's insane you go watch it doesn't make sense of that audience watching the movie it's captivating yeah you know you know it's like wow what like a like a movement in a lot of ways and all over the world yeah so just for that reason I think it's it's that selfish would be Winbrenver the experience of it.

Yeah, I guess working with Taylor on that. It's very intimate and wonderful shared experience. I love the narrative of that and being a voice for indigenous women and the crimes against them. And that's a character I'm closest to. Right. That's like me at my ranching. Yep. Yeah.

It's very, very close to who I am. So for that reason, that's why Wind River is in the running. I left out senior trip. I'm sorry. Should I swap that in? Yeah. And that guest star in CSI, you know. That's really the most personal role in my career.

So where are you at going forward career-wise, filming-wise, beyond shooting Hawkeye and Secret Wars, obviously. What are you looking for? You're going to finish Kingstown. Filmmakers on the short list, where are your priorities, acting-wise right now? I'm actually excited to work. It's my daughter's allowing me to work more.

She gives me permission to be able to work more. I have to then now ask myself, how much more do I want to work? How much energy? What do I want to do? Yeah. Prioritize because, of course, if I allow myself to say yes to everything, then I'm not going to have a life. Yeah.

You did that once. Yeah, I've done that. I've done that. Yeah. So I'm careful about what I say yes to. Yeah. As I always have, but I'm just even, but for a different reason, just to, because I do want to live my life.

life I do have a foundation that's a high priority in my life for that I want to keep running and be hands-on with so I take it kind of day-by-day on it I remain open to it and it's the opportunities are or more because of I can shoot more places now because my daughter's older right she's busy with her friends in school and all that kind of thing so I I don't feel that we don't have to spend as much time we can talk the phone yeah when they're little they're like day you know what I mean but now she's you know we could speak eloquently we talk like i'll be watching her like i'll be watching her volleyball game today

right and doing all that kind of stuff so it's beautiful so we don't feel like we're missing out on anything with with each other um it's also so yeah i'm excited yeah so kingstown for sure i'll be doing i'll probably end up doing another season this season's gonna turn out really really great and so i know they'll want to continue um and so i think i think i'm happy to do another one of those uh happy to see knives out come out this year and that's that's all i know as far as work because In the future, I'm open to some things, but I want to keep it to like maybe one, two jobs in the year, but one job a year, I think, is plenty for me.

Yeah. Because I want to enjoy my life too, you know. And I want to enjoy my family. I want to enjoy my time. I want to enjoy all my hard work. I want to enjoy my recovery and getting better, because it does take time and it does take effort. And I want to, again, and also I will only go to work back

with, you know, not just for a job, I don't want the job, I want to go share time with people. Yeah. So it is kind of dependent on who I get to share screen with, who I get to share the creative process with. Of course, new people are always important to me, but like, I just wanna enjoy the experience, you know. Yeah, well, there's also a nice sense of like,

you don't have to prove anything. Yeah, yeah, I'm not going back. It'd be 135 degrees and 100 pound bomb suit in the desert. The Hurt Locker 2 is not happening. It's still hurting. That's not happening. It is a good title though. Good job, still hurting.

Right, so I don't think I'm doing that. Right. You know, I just, you know, because I didn't. But it's just an idea and a joke. Right. And this captain called, hey, I had an idea. So Will James has gone back for another tour. Oh my God, no.

I can't think of anything more unlikely that Catherine Bigelow doing a sequel called Still Hurtin. She's abandoned all-a- YouTube channel version of the... Yeah. But working with Catherine again, that would be great. I always want to do a silent film with Catherine. She knows if there's a language.

Yeah, she's like an artist, she's like a painter, you know? But she could just do like cool visuals and I could tell a story without saying anything. And I think it'd be really cool. She finally directed in other movies after Detroit. She has one coming out this year. Oh, that she? Yeah, with Idris, it's like a White House thriller, I think. Oh wow.

I'm so all in. Okay, anything she does. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome. can you or is this one and done um i don't know if anything would be a children's book something a little lighter to a little lighter fair enough not the illustrated version of this we don't need yeah yeah yeah yeah little timmy under the snow cat don't be timmy tiny you know this is bad with two people have this kind of sense of humor one of us is okay but dark humor um congratulations

buddy i'm so happy for you i'm happy for all of us that we get this amazing story told this way as only you can tell it. And thanks, as always, for, you know, being so honest and open and spending an important day, catching up with an idiot like me. Yeah, dude, it's great to share it, and great to share it with you, and I'm glad we get to do a little bit more tonight in depth. And, again, this is, it's all shared experiences, right? And that's where the value lies in me and my life is just those things.

Yeah. And glad to get to share it with you, brother. Good to see you, buddy. Yes, sir. We did it. It's another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

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