Jeremy Renner was declared technically dead after a frightening snowplowing accident last year, his co-star has revealed.
On January 1 the Marvel actor was left in critical condition after “breaking more than 30 bones” while trying to save a family member from the path of the six-tonne machine near his Lake Tahoe home, close to the Nevada-California US state border.
Doctors needed to insert metal plates into his torso to stabilise his ribcage as well as his eye socket, which had caved in. They also inserted a titanium metal rod in the Marvel star's left shin to hold it together after it was snapped.
It was also revealed at the time that that 53-year-old “suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopaedic injuries”, but now, it’s emerged that his heart actually stopped beating.
According to his Mayor of Kingstown co-star Michael Beach, the actor “actually died”.
Beach told The Direct: “Jeremy [Renner] is a war horse, man. He’s been coming back. And he says he wasn’t sure how it would be. But he was ready. And he says every week, he feels stronger and stronger.”
He explained that Renner has made such a recovery that there has “been no interruption because of his physical abilities”.
Beach added: “He’s in it doing it. He’s great. Yeah, he’s a great guy, man. And he’s really as tough as nails.”
The actor then explained that those working on Mayor of Kingstown have been given “a unique perspective to the story of how Jeremy Renner got run over by a snowplough” as both Renner and the nephew he was assisting during the accident are involved in the series.
“They are not shy about telling you what was going on, how they felt, and all that stuff,” Beach concluded.
In January, Renner marked his first day back on set 12 months after his accident, sharing his nerves ahead of season three of Mayor of Kingstown going into production.
Previously, Renner, who is best known for playing Clint “Hawkeye” Barton in the Marvel film franchise, reflected on his horrific ordeal to mark its one-year anniversary.
Speaking to CNN, he said: “I’m just so blessed I had so many things to live for, I have a giant family, a 10-year-old daughter.
“I would have disappointed and really messed up a lot of people’s lives if I would have passed. I’m also pretty stubborn, there’s a lot for me to fight for and recovery was just a one-way road in my mind and my recovery."
