Jeremy Renner Cries In First TV Interview Since Nearly Being Killed In Snowcat Accident – ‘I Chose To Survive’

The Hollywood star Jeremy Renner broke down in tears on Wednesday in his first televised interview since the New Year’s Day snowcat accident that nearly took his life.

Renner’s Emotional Interview

“Oh all of it,” Renner, 52, can be seen telling Diane Sawyer in a trailer for the interview, which is set to air next week. “I was awake through every moment.”

Daily Mail reported that Renner was using the 14,000-pound Snowcat plow to help his nephew Alexander Fries pull his car out of a snowbank near his home in Lake Tahoe when he jumped out and forgot to put on the emergency breaks. As the plow headed towards Fries, Renner tried to jump back into it so he could stop it, only to be pulled underneath.

Renner, who is best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel movies, became emotional as he told Sawyer that he would do it all again because he saved his nephew’s life.

“I would do it again,” he said. “It was coming right at my nephew. I would do it again.”

Fries was interviewed as well, and he told Sawyer that he thought his uncle was dead after the snowcat crushed him.

“I just perfectly see him in a pool of blood coming from his head,” he stated. “I ran up to him, I didn’t think he was alive.”

Related: Jeremy Renner Was Trying To Save Nephew’s Life When 14,000Ib Snowplow Crushed Him

Renner’s Injuries 

Sawyer read out the lengthy list of injuries that Renner suffered in the accident.

“Eight ribs broken in 14 places, right knee, ankle broken, left leg, tibia broken, the left ankle broken, right clavicle broken, right shoulder broken,” she said. “Face, eye socket, the jaw, the mandible broken, lung collapsed, pierced from the rib bone, your liver. Sounds terrifying.”

Despite this, Renner was determined to live from the beginning.

“I chose to survive, this is not going to kill me,” he explained. 

As for whether he’ll continue to do his own stunts in future roles, Renner is not ruling it out. 

“I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience,” he said. “But I’ve been refueled and refilled with love and titanium.”

When asked what he sees when he looks in the mirror, Renner replied, “I see a lucky man.”

Find out more about this incredible story when “Jeremy Renner, The Diane Sawyer Interview: A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph” airs on Thursday, April 6 at 10pm, according to Entertainment Tonight. Check out a trailer for the special in the video below.

Related: Jeremy Renner Breaks His Silence After Devastating Snow Plow Accident As He Remains Hospitalized

Renner ‘Almost Died’

Friends of Renner have previously said that it may take him years to fully recover from this.

“It’s much worse than anyone knows. Jeremy is very aware of the fact that he almost died out there,” a friend of his told RadarOnline back in January. “The right side of Jeremy’s chest was crushed, and his upper torso had collapsed. He also had a bad head wound that was bleeding and a leg injury.”

“Jeremy was in a lot of pain, and was having difficulty breathing,” the insider continued. “He knew he was in bad shape and that he might not make it out of this.”

Renner showed how selfless he really is when he risked his own life to save his nephew on New Year’s Day. We can’t wait to see Renner’s full interview when it airs next week, and we will continue to pray for him as he recovers from this harrowing incident.