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Home , American Hustle, Jeremy Renner

Interview Interview

Pictured: Renner (who plays ) attends the first Avengers premiere in London in 2012 – Avengers 4 is out soon Passion in action doing those big movies – now From his Modesto upbringing to an Academy Award nomination and roles in two of people see me as a big action today’s biggest blockbuster franchises, has conquered Hollywood star,” he says, laughing again. with the quiet confidence of a man whose biggest love is film, not fame. He talks to While mainstream audiences may flock to the Avengers films Harold von Kursk about stunts, real estate, and selfie-hating squirrels where he plays Hawkeye – Avengers 4 will be released next May – Wind River, which he eremy Renner is an unlikely His finest work, however, Adams) or crime drama (American acknowledges as possibly the movie star. Having landed in has come in dark dramas: that of Hustle, The Town etc.). finest film of his career, is the JLos Angeles, aged 19, with a grim, bomb-disposal expert in For a man who grew up kind of project that best stirs his a dream of gracing the stage as [2009], for which “without a cent” in Modesto, creative instincts. a singer-songwriter, he dabbled in he earned a Best Supporting Actor California where his parents “First I look at the story, but TV as a supporting player to pay nomination; and as a melancholy managed a bowling alley, Renner when I wake up it’s always the bills. But talent far exceeded hunter helping the FBI catch those concedes that, although he has a different feeling. I have to find ambition and he would go on to responsible for the brutal rape enjoyed the higher visibility and a truth in the project, to feel achieve a meteoric rise to fame as and murder of a Native American added job security that comes involved. I do not want to give both a serious dramatic actor and woman in last year’s Wind from working on three studio answers, I want to find them. a fixture in Hollywood blockbusters. River. The latter was shot in the franchises, that was never his I want to be tested. For me there His natural athleticism – he wilderness of Utah, where Renner primary reason for signing on to would be no fun if it were not so. attacked the toughest ski runs in maintains a country retreat so he those projects. “The script [for Wind River] Lake Tahoe as a teenager – has can escape Los Angeles. “It’s not really about the has a lot of depth to it. What kind propelled him into major action For a man who builds houses franchises even though the of makes the movie pulse along roles in The Legacy, the in his spare time and also restores good thing about a successful is the thriller aspect, there’s the Avengers franchise (as Hawkeye) and collects vintage cars, paradise franchise is you might have a whole whodunnit kind of thing, and two Mission: Impossible films is a “hot cup of coffee breathing job in the future and it’s pretty and the depth and journey that (Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation). in the cold morning air” – away much guaranteed that people comes from my character’s having “I had an ability as an athlete to from it all. “It’s definitely important are going to see the movie,” says to deal with loss of his child and perform stunts and do that type to strike a balance between Renner, laughing. how to deal with it and not deal of stuff, yet it was important to wilderness and city life,” he says. “I’ve done a lot of movies and with it. always have a great character,” “I have a huge love of nature; worked my ass off on smaller “Within that story, it all kinds explains Renner. the trees, clean air, the stars. movies that nobody ever got to of ties together but the world that “I didn’t want to just do an “It’s also nice to be see. And it’s a lot of time and you talk about is a fresh, majestic, action movie to do action. And then anonymous. Bears and squirrels work and effort, and even doing unapologetic world. it became a thing because these are don’t give a shit who I am. You something you love, you kind of “You know to just be big movies – it kind of breeds itself.” know what I mean? They’re want people to see it.” emotionally affected by the movie never looking for a selfie!” “That’s the thing that’s always and to me that is the greatest gift This is the kind of spirit that uncertain for actors or anyone in that I can ever get out of a movie. defines the 47-year-old Renner. the film business. But I wouldn’t I think that is just a beautiful He brings a working-class have said yes to any of them thing, because then it isn’t ‘BEARS AND SQUIRRELS sensibility to the rather elite unless I believed in the character just entertainment, there is an DON’T GIVE A SHIT WHO occupation of a Hollywood leading I was doing. emotional and spiritual value to it.” I AM. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THEY’RE NEVER man whose underlying gifts as a “I always need to feel I can This year Renner is starring LOOKING FOR A SELFIE!’ character actor have enabled him contribute something to these in Tag, an action-comedy about to work in multiple genres whether things… and of course there are five adult friends who have JEREMY RENNER sci-fi (Arrival, co-starring Amy a lot of opportunities involved in played the same game of tag ➤

14 Upward Curve October-December 2018 October-December 2018 Upward Curve 15 Interview

broken, so I got them wrapped up and then I went back to work and did everything I could do to continue [with the film].” ‘I HAD TO GET INTO REALLY, REALLY GREAT SHAPE AND Splints were placed on both I WAS DOING FILIPINO STICK his arms and he even refused to FIGHTING – I DIDN’T EVEN take any pain medication so that KNOW WHAT THAT WAS’ he would know if certain stunts JEREMY RENNER risked further damage to his arms. “I couldn’t rotate my hands but I could move my arms up and skills which he would take to an down kind of like a robot, but even higher level in preparations I would do anything that didn’t for The Bourne Legacy the hurt essentially... The first week following year. was a little rough just because of is renowned for the swelling, and then I would take performing his own death-defying the splints off as often as I could stunts in his Mission Impossible so I didn’t stay in this sort of like movies – including climbing the arm bent position.” side of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the Ironically, Renner has tallest building in the world, on managed to get through far riskier Protocol – and Renner says that and more demanding films with “he pushes you to do it, too.” only minor cuts and bruises – “There was the opportunity “and then I break both arms doing to do so many things physically for the past 30 years. Renner’s “But the stack didn’t fall, I did. a comedy!”, he laughs. that I’ve never done. I had to get character Jerry ( and Then I realised, ‘I think something Along the way, he has become into really, really great shape Ed Helms also co-star) is so good was wrong. a martial arts master from his and I was doing Filipino Stick at it that he is the only one who “So I went to the hospital, and intensive training for Mission Fighting – I didn’t even know what has evaded being tagged every they said (that both my arms) were Impossible: Ghost Protocol [2011], that was – and also Muay Thai. ➤ year which means the stakes keep getting higher. Unfortunately for Jeremy, his athletic prowess failed to save him from a nasty 20-foot tumble while climbing a stack of chairs during a chase sequence. Renner, with typical tough guy bravado, dusted himself off, told the director he was ready to go again, and repeated the same stunt. “It’s a stack of chairs like 20 feet high, and it’s supposed to fall over, and I’m supposed to ride it down like a surfboard and then keep running,” he said.

Above: Renner at the 74th Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles in 2017 Right: Renner (second right) with Marvel co-stars Robert Downey Jr., and Samuel L. Jackson

October-December 2018 Upward Curve 17 Interview

“I was doing martial arts for Then, in 2012, while his five hours a day, fighting, training acting career was soaring with and then doing a lot of stuff on the , Jeremy earned top of a skyscraper that’s twice as a seven-figure profit on an art high as the Empire State Building.” deco home that he restored which Renner is the oldest of six he reportedly bought for $7m children and was an outstanding and sold for three times as much. high school athlete who first Altogether, Renner has bought, studied criminology while attending sold, or otherwise flipped more junior college in Modesto. than 30 houses. “I grew up with no money. “I’m With this kind of hellbent used to having no money. I had no double life, one might wonder plans of going to Hollywood and how he has managed his personal I knew I had to go to college and affairs. In 2012, he married that I should go. Canadian actress/model Sonni “My father suggested the Pacheco who gave birth to their local community college. He said, daughter Ava Berlin in March, “Pick a class and go take it. 2013. Sadly, the couple divorced Go fail.” shortly thereafter, although Renner That, “Go fail son” empowered has remained an active and me to go succeed, or try. So, But despite his impressive “And the realtor’s like, ‘Oh, involved father ever since. I did. I went and just tried stuff, debut, it would take seven long, I can sell this for this number.’ Sharing custody of his you know? And one of them was hard years before he landed his I’m like, ‘What? Okay!’” child, Renner lives with her at an acting class. Once I tried that next major role in Dahmer in Oddly, Renner suddenly a home which he unsurprisingly acting class, it stuck.” 2002, playing the notorious real- became even more successful in remodelled himself – right down At age 19 he made his way life serial killer Jeffery Dahmer. Hollywood as a talented house to the monster swimming pool to L.A. determined to at the very Not knowing whether that role flipper working together with actor he designed with his daughter minimum win some recognition: would give him steady income, Kristoffer Winters. Renner would in mind. “I gave myself 11 years. I don’t he decided to put his paycheck to often live in each house during “I wanted it to be like know why 11 years. Eleven years, good use by teaming up with his construction and remodelling, a playground for all the kids in I’ll need to be in a movie, a movie brother, buying a house, and even if that meant at times living my family, and then a playground big enough that’s gonna play in fixing it up. without electricity and indoor for all the adults in my family. Modesto, and be in a role that plumbing. But it was worth it. “I think right now my attention I didn’t have to tell my parents, Renovating old houses turned is to be a father. She’s my number ‘I’m the guy in the red shirt in the into a full-time vocation: “I can do one priority and I think that’s my background.’ I just wanted to be, anything with nails and a hammer best role to date.” ■ like, ‘You’ll see me in that movie.’” – I made $250,000 on my first That movie turned out to be house. Not bad for a second job!” Above: Renner and Paul Rudd National Lampoon’s Senior Trip attend the European film which he fondly recalls as being premiere of : “not bad” for his first acting gig. Civil War in 2016 Left: Renner at Cannes Film Festival in 2017 during the Wind River photocall