Jeremy Renner isn’t shying away from showing off his scars.
The Mayor of Kingstown star posed shirtless on the cover of the July/August issue of Men’s Health magazine, revealing how his life has changed after surviving a snowplow accident that left him on life support.
On the cover, the 53-year-old actor’s scars are visible on his back, shoulders, and stomach. Inside the spread, a scar on his leg can be seen as he wears workout shorts.
“I never really had scars before; they were probably more emotional, spiritual scars, you know?” Renner said in a video accompanying the cover shoot. “And now there are some physical ones. But the physical ones aren’t even from the accident; they’re just because of the accident. All those are just reminders of the beautiful, beautiful day that could have been a really bad day.”
Renner referred to that “beautiful day,” as a moment he reflects on, acknowledging that he came close to death following the accident. “I’m glad I’m here, and I’m going to keep feeding what you take with you: those shared experiences with those you love. It’s eternal, and you take it with you,” Renner shared. “It’s connected. There’s no time, place, or space. It’s magnificent.”
He added, “What you can visualize with your eyes closed. It’s awesome. And by the way, everyone’s in it! It’s what your imagination is. It was joy. It was exhilarating peace. Exhilarating peace. You’re connected to everything all at once.”
Renner, who is the father of 11-year-old daughter Ava, said another lesson he had to learn following the accident was how to accept love from his family and friends, and understanding that the accident changed how some people look at him.
“I’m a tough guy to love, I think?” the Hawkeye actor admitted. “And I think my family and people put all that aside. There’s a lot of people that love me. And I had no idea. I had to learn how to receive all this love, and it’s not easy.”
As for how he keeps going, getting himself in possibly the best shape he’s been in years, Renner said he just “puts in the work.”
“Look, I’m 53. I’m on the downslide of trying to gain muscle. You get atrophy, testosterone level’s at 300, no growth hormone in me at all—everything’s going on a downslide. Protein helps with the muscles, so I’m on a higher-protein diet. The more strength I have, the more energy I have to keep going,” he explained.
Renner’s mantra since the accident: “The only thing we can control in our lives is our perspective,” and that’s exactly what he’s doing as he puts himself back in front of audiences a year and a half after that fateful day.
You can see the pictures on Men’s Health.
