Jeremy Renner Speaks on Facing Death and Finding Perspective
Speaking before nearly 1,800 audience members at the University of San Francisco’s Silk Speaker Series on August 24, Jeremy Renner shared his story of survival and recovery following a snowplow accident that left him with 38 broken bones and, briefly, no heartbeat.
His reflections, captured in his new book and instant New York Times bestseller My Next Breath, offer a lesson on resilience that left the USF community in awe.
NBC News Anchor and Investigative Correspondent Vicky Nguyen ’00 guided the conversation, while USF students, alumni, and friends filled the War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center.
Renner recalled being fully conscious throughout the ordeal — an experience that, while traumatic, he believes ultimately saved his life.
It took 45 minutes for help to arrive after the accident. In that time, Renner said, he experienced what he describes as death. “It’s beautiful, it’s peaceful,” said Renner. “You’re relieved of your earthly burdens. The only thing that continues is the continuum of love. You can call it God or you can call it the Universe.”
In the months that followed, Renner’s recovery became an around-the-clock effort involving more than 150 medical professionals. He spoke with gratitude for the doctors and nurses who cared for him, sharing that he even returned to apologize to the night nurses for his multiple failed escape attempts.
Renner described how he learned to retrain his brain and body through pain. “Every time I moved, my body told me it was broken,” he said. “But I had to talk to it and create new neural pathways. Telling my body that it wasn’t broken allowed me to create a positive pattern. I don’t use the word ‘pain’ anymore.”
Through intense recovery, Renner distilled a simple yet profound lesson: focus on your next breath. “If you can’t breathe, you’re looking for your next breath,” he said. “Nobody is immune to obstacles. But I don’t have bad days anymore. If something flares up, I remind myself of what really has value.”
Before his accident, acting defined much of his public life. His career as an actor has spanned more than two decades. Best known for his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), he has also earned Oscar nominations in movies such as The Hurt Locker and The Town.
Renner spent 13 years as Hawkeye in the MCU, a role that brought him international recognition. “It’s a great blessing to have been a part of the MCU as Hawkeye,” he said. “I made five best friends. We have gone through great amounts of life together — marriages, sobriety, divorces. The best thing we got from it was the friendships.”
Fame, Renner admits, isn’t always easy. “Fame was toxic for me,” he said. “But once I got access to being famous for the kids, that was the coolest thing,” he said.
Currently, Renner devotes much of his time to the Rennervation Foundation, his nonprofit aimed at providing foster and at-risk youth with safe spaces and programs that build skills, boost confidence, and create opportunities.
Renner closed his talk with a reminder to USF students that resilience often grows from struggle. “When life sucks, embrace it, squeeze it,” he said. “You’ll always be able to control your perspective and how you perceive things. That’s a superpower.”
The Silk Speaker Series at the University of San Francisco brings key thought leaders in business, culture, and global affairs to share their wisdom and ideas with students, alumni, faculty, and friends of the university.
The Silk Speaker Series continues this fall. Join us during the CelebrateUSF weekend for a rare opportunity to hear from Academy Award-winning actress and producer Nicole Kidman. Get your tickets »
