My Next Breath: A Memoir

Jeremy Renner was born in Modesto, California on January 7th, 1971. He attended Modesto Junior College, where he initially studied computer science, criminology, and psychology. He discovered acting through theater classes and moved to San Francisco to train at the American Conservatory Theater. This formal theatrical training provided him with body awareness and breathing techniques that became essential during his 2023 accident.

Renner began his film career in 1995 with National Lampoon’s Senior Trip and spent years in supporting roles and television appearances. He gained critical attention in 2002 with his portrayal of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, which demonstrated his willingness to explore psychologically challenging roles and his ability to find humanity in disturbing characters. This performance earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination and caught director Kathryn Bigelow’s attention.

His breakthrough came with his role as Sergeant First Class William James in The Hurt Locker (2008), playing a bomb disposal expert whose intensity and focus under extreme pressure mirrored qualities Renner would later need for survival. This performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and established his reputation for portraying characters who thrive in high-stakes situations.

His second Oscar nomination came for his supporting role as the volatile bank robber Jem Coughlin in Ben Affleck’s The Town (2010). Renner’s career then expanded into major franchise work as Hawkeye in seven Marvel Cinematic Universe films, where he performed many of his own stunts and developed expertise in archery and combat sequences. He also appeared in the Mission: Impossible series and took over the Bourne franchise in The Bourne Legacy.

Throughout his career, Renner gravitated toward complex, morally ambiguous characters that required deep psychological exploration. His approach to acting emphasized complete physical and emotional embodiment of roles, a methodology that proved invaluable during his recovery process.

Renner’s professional acting training required extensive body awareness and conscious control of physical responses, skills that proved critical during the snowcat incident when he needed to manually control his breathing for 45 minutes while remaining conscious. This body awareness, along with the breathing techniques he learned in childhood Lamaze classes, proved to be valuable preparation for his survival during the accident.

For his action roles, Renner studied Arnis and Muay Thai martial arts, which contributed to his understanding of pain tolerance, body mechanics, and mental focus under physical stress. His experience performing his own stunts familiarized him with injury assessment and recovery processes. These skills directly influenced his approach to rehabilitation and his ability to treat his body as a separate entity during healing. His decade-long personal project of systematically conquering fears—from singing karaoke to scuba diving with sharks—developed what he calls “clarity of intention” and taught him that information defeats anxiety. This mental training proved essential during the accident and throughout his recovery process.

Beyond acting, Renner operates a house renovation business with fellow actor Kristoffer Winters, work that requires practical problem-solving and physical labor. He works as a volunteer firefighter and helps plow snow near his Nevada home, giving him experience with emergency response protocols and heavy machinery operation. This background provides context for both the accident itself and his calm, methodical response to the crisis situation.