Jeremy Renner has returned to acting following his near-fatal accident in early 2023, marking a significant milestone in the actor’s recovery. The star’s comeback occurred with his role in the film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, shot in Europe earlier this year, highlighting his resilience after sustaining extensive injuries.
Jeremy Renner’s Steadfast Return to Film After Severe Injury
Following a devastating snowplow accident on New Year’s Day 2023 at his Lake Tahoe residence, Jeremy Renner suffered multiple fractures and life-threatening injuries. Despite this, he made a cautious re-entry into acting with a smaller part in the ensemble cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, directed by Rian Johnson. The film features notable stars such as Daniel Craig, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, and Kerry Washington.
Speaking about his involvement, Renner expressed relief at having a role that was manageable during his recovery.
“It was nice just to do a smaller part in a bigger, great movie,”
he shared at the Sense of Home 10th Anniversary Gala in October 2025, where he and his sister Kym Renner were recognized for their philanthropic efforts.
“So, it wasn’t too much work for me or too much responsibility.”
Renner praised the cast and crew, noting the positive atmosphere on set.
“It’s a tremendous filmmaker and tremendous cast,”
he said.
“I’ve had a lot of fun.”
The actor also appreciated the opportunity to share the filming experience with family, as multiple relatives joined him during shooting in Europe over the summer.
“I had 15 of my family members come out and visit. They got a whole summer vacation in Europe,”
he joked.
“I had to work a little bit. But you know, what’s my work? I play make believe for a living.”
The Critical Accident and Renner’s Experience Near Death
The accident occurred while Renner was operating a snowplow to free a truck stuck in snow outside his home. When exiting the machine, he was pulled underneath it while trying to prevent it from running over his nephew, resulting in an estimated 38 broken bones and severe trauma. He has since described the event in chilling detail in his 2025 memoir, My Next Breath.
He recounted the moment his heart rate slowed dangerously on the ice, recalling,
“As I lay on the ice, my heart rate slowed, and right there, on that New Year’s Day, unknown to my daughter, my sisters, my friends, my father, my mother, I just got tired.”
Renner starkly wrote,
“I died, right there on the driveway to my house.”
Elaborating further, he revealed certainty about his death during that ordeal:
“I know I died—in fact, I’m sure of it. When the EMTs arrived, they noted that my heart rate had bottomed out at 18, and at 18 beats per minute, you’re basically dead.”
Despite this, he was revived and eventually began his extensive journey of medical treatment and rehabilitation.
Renner described the near-death experience as paradoxically peaceful, sharing,
“The most profound adrenaline rush, yet an entirely tranquil one at the same time: electric serenity.”
He continued to reflect on this rare state, writing,
“I can still feel that space, silent, still, empty, but filled with every instant and all the forevers and, for the first time ever, my existence has nothing to do with time. It was an entirely beautiful place, filled with a knowable magic.”
Other Notable Celebrity Accidents and Recoveries
Maddie Aldridge’s ATV Incident and Miraculous Recovery
Maddie Aldridge, daughter of Jamie Lynn Spears, endured a terrifying accident in 2017 when she flipped an ATV into a pond near their Louisiana home, remaining submerged underwater for several minutes. Jamie Lynn Spears reflected on the harrowing moment during a 2020 podcast episode, saying,
“When we were finally able to get her out of the water and I saw her and then the first responders took her from me, we thought she was gone. We thought we’d lost our daughter.”
Fortunately, Maddie regained consciousness two days later and returned to her normal life within weeks.
Jamie Lynn further expressed gratitude for her daughter’s survival, stating,
“God gave me the blessing of giving me my daughter back. I lost her and I got her back.”
Rebel Wilson’s Facial Injury on a Film Set
During the final day of filming the 2025 action comedy Bride Hard, Rebel Wilson sustained a severe injury in a fight scene mishap when a gun struck her face. She explained in an interview, “In a fight scene, a gun accidentally got whacked across my face. It was just a freak accident, and my nose got split open, so I left set. It was my last night of shooting. I was like, ‘How unlucky can I be?’
Wilson recounted the frightening aftermath, noting,
“They take an ambulance and they have to call a plastic surgeon, because if they didn’t, I would have been permanently disfigured. So we got the plastic surgeon, they did all the stitches, and you can’t tell now.”
Jimmy Fallon’s Near-Amputation Experience
Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon narrowly avoided losing a finger after a fall inside his home caused his ring to pull the digit out in a traumatic injury known as ring avulsion. He underwent ten days of hospitalization as doctors worked to save the finger from amputation, highlighting the precarious nature of seemingly minor household accidents.
Zane Wach’s Altitude Sickness Hike Accident
In June 2025, 14-year-old Zane Wach experienced a terrifying episode of altitude sickness while hiking Mount Whitney in California with his father, Ryan Wach. Ryan described the situation, stating,
“He started to experience some hallucinations. He knew he was hallucinating. He said he saw things like snowmen and Kermit the Frog.”
Despite multiple close calls of Zane nearly walking off cliffs, Ryan’s vigilance helped keep him safe on the descent. After a 120-foot fall during the hike, emergency responders placed Zane in a medically induced coma due to head trauma and multiple fractures before transferring him to a pediatric trauma center. Ryan remained cautiously optimistic, calling it
“a survival story in the end, but right now we’re still in the middle of it.”
Trigg Kiser’s Fatal Pool Accident
Trigg Kiser, 3-year-old son of TikToker Emilie Kiser and Brady Kiser, tragically drowned after falling into a pool at their Arizona home in May 2025. Emergency responders administered CPR on-site before transporting him to Chandler Regional Hospital, where he sadly passed away six days later. Emilie filed a lawsuit seeking to restrict public access to details about the incident, with the legal filing stating,
“Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore. But every day is a battle.”
Cara Hodgson’s Electrocution Abroad
In December 2023, Dr. Cara Hodgson suffered a life-threatening electrocution during a family vacation in Thailand when she came into contact with power lines. She described the ordeal on Instagram, detailing
“going in and out of hospitals fighting to regain my strength and fighting for my life.”
Hodgson reflected on the experience by emphasizing gratitude for life itself:
“I am so lucky to be here today.”
She added,
“The experience taught me something I think we all need to be reminded of when we get caught up in the little things: What a precious privilege it is to be alive, being able to breathe, eat, talk, move your body, is something grand and something to be celebrated.”
Juliana Marins’ Fatal Fall During Indonesian Hike
Brazilian tourist Juliana Marins died after falling off a cliff while hiking Mount Rinjani, an active volcano in Indonesia, in June 2025. Rescue teams battled adverse weather and difficult terrain for four days before recovering her body. Her family expressed sorrow, stating,
“With great sadness, we inform you that she did not survive. We remain very grateful for all the prayers, messages of affection and support that we have received.”
Tori Spelling’s Hibachi Burn Incident
In 2015, actress Tori Spelling sustained severe burns on her right arm after tripping and falling onto a Hibachi grill at a Japanese restaurant. She underwent skin graft surgery, later describing the ongoing physical impact with humor and candor:
“I have a skin graft that they had to take from my leg. Not many people can say, ‘Hey, I’m wearing my thigh on my arm,’ and I’m not even kidding. So I’m wearing a thin layer of my thigh on my arm because the skin burnt so bad.”
Comedian Tony Knight’s Tragic Festival Accident
Tony Knight, a well-loved comedian, died in June 2024 after two large tree branches fell on him while attending the Rock & Cars festival in France. Joanne Allen, sister of Knight’s partner Hayley Wright, recalled him as,
“He was only 54 and having the time of his life. He was fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him. He was charismatic, funny, passionate.”
His partner Hayley Wright paid tribute on Instagram, saying,
“He was an exceptionally talented man, with so many strings to his bow. There really was nothing he couldn’t do. He was a fantastic friend to so many, an amazing dog Dad….but most of all he was my world & it will never be the same without him.”
Fatal Company Celebration Accident in India Involving Sanjay Shah
During a company event in India in January 2024, Sanjay Shah, CEO of Chicago software firm Vistex, and president Vishwanath Raju Datla were suspended in an iron cage set to be lowered onto a stage. However, two support wires snapped, causing the cage to crash onto a concrete platform. Sanjay Shah died at the hospital from injuries sustained, and Vishwanath later succumbed to head trauma months after the incident.
Orlando Bloom’s Severe Back Injury and Life Changes
Orlando Bloom shared in 2022 that at 19, he fell three floors from a window while attempting to climb a drainpipe to a rooftop terrace, suffering multiple vertebrae fractures. He explained,
“I was very fortunate to survive the fall because my spinal cord was still just intact.”
At the hospital, Bloom was told he might never walk again, leading to a challenging road of recovery.
Reflecting on the incident, he said,
“That was really the beginning of what was a long and painful journey for me into recognizing and understanding some of the patterns that had been in my life that had led me to having numerous accidents. And the culmination was breaking my back, which was a near-death experience.”
He admitted to risky behaviors beforehand but noted a shift after the injury:
“Until you’re close to losing it, you don’t realize. I used to ride motorbikes and drive cars like everything was a racetrack; it was ridiculous. It wasn’t because I thought it was cool; it was just because I loved living on the edge. But I’ve chilled.”
The Broader Impact of These Near-Death Experiences
Jeremy Renner’s return to acting serves as a powerful reminder of human resilience in the face of overwhelming trauma. The intensity and seriousness of his accident, coupled with his survival, cast a spotlight not only on his personal strength but also on the challenge of rebuilding one’s life after a catastrophic injury. Similarly, the stories of other celebrities who have survived severe accidents emphasize the unpredictable nature of life and the profound transformations that often accompany close encounters with death.
Renner’s reflection on the peacefulness in his near-death state offers a deep, somber perspective on mortality while highlighting the will to survive. As he resumes his career with cautious optimism, his experience will likely influence his future work and advocacy.
For those recovering from physical and emotional trauma, Renner’s journey symbolizes both the fragility and indomitable spirit of life, encouraging a renewed appreciation for survival, family, and the passion to continue pursuing one’s craft despite adversity.
