Jeremy Renner said he wrote his “last words” to his family while lying in a hospital bed in a serious condition after a snowplough accident.
The 52-year-old Hollywood actor, known for the Marvel film The Avengers in which he plays the superhero archer Hawkeye, revealed previously he broke more than 30 bones in the incident.
He was accidentally run over by his own six-tonne ploughing machine while trying to help a family member on January 1 and was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
Renner spent some time in an intensive care unit (ICU) before saying on January 17 he had returned home and was watching crime drama Mayor Of Kingstown, which he stars in.
.@ABC EXCLUSIVE: First look at @DianeSawyer’s interview with @JeremyRenner, as the actor opens up for the first time about his near-fatal snowplow accident.
Watch Thursday, April 6, on ABC and the next day on @Hulu. https://t.co/3T71flHNnD pic.twitter.com/VDD6ceY5yA
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 5, 2023
A clip of an upcoming interview, which sees the actor sitting in a wheelchair in shorts and a jumper, has been released before its airing on Thursday.
In the video, Renner was speaking about being in hospital when he told US broadcaster Diane Sawyer: “So I’m writing down notes on my phone (which are the) last words to my family.”
He then breaks down in tears.
A previous clip saw Renner reveal he was “awake through every moment” of the incident and the clip also said the programme will feature a recording of the 911 call made in the aftermath of the incident.
The actor’s nephew is also said to be appearing to recall how he found his uncle at the scene.
In the clip, Renner said: “If I was there on my own, it would have been a horrible way to die and surely I would have, surely.
“But I wasn’t alone, (there) was my nephew, sweet Alex, and the rest of the cavalry came.”
According to a police report, obtained by the PA news agency in January, Renner was helping Alexander Fries free his car from the snow when the plough began to roll down the hill.
The actor was trying to stop the PistenBully vehicle when he was “pulled under” and “run over”, the document also said.
I did one interview about last New Year’s Day incident with @DianeSawyer Tune in this week of you want to know the whole story. Bless you all 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/UpeofhqKxZ
— Jeremy Renner (@JeremyRenner) April 4, 2023
Since the incident Renner has kept his followers updated on his recovery, which has included using an anti-gravity treadmill and strengthening exercises.
When asked by Sawyer if he would do the type of stunts seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he said: “I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I’ve been refuelled and refilled with love and titanium.”
Outside of his appearances in the superhero films Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame and Disney+ series Hawkeye, the actor received Academy Awards nods for his roles in The Hurt Locker and The Town.
Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story Of Terror, Survival And Triumph will air on April 6 on ABC.