Jeremy Renner took to the 2024 People's Choice Awards stage and was met with a massive round of applause from fans and fellow artists in one of his first major appearances this year following his near-fatal snowplow accident in 2023.
The "Mayor of Kingstown" star was crushed by a snowplow on New Year's Day last year while trying to prevent the snowcat vehicle from hitting his nephew. It was a lengthy recovery for the actor who suffered from over 30 broken bones. Renner is set to return to "Mayor of Kingstown" Season 3. In addition to the Taylor Sheridan drama which airs on Paramount+, Renner is best known for playing Marvel hero Hawkeye, who made his first debut in the MCU in 2011 in the film "Thor."
Renner attended the 2024 People's Choice Awards as a presenter, where he kicked off the night with the award for TV Performance of the Year which went to Grammy winner Billie Eilish for her role in "Swarm."
Fellow Marvel star Tom Hiddleston, who later won Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of the Year for "Loki," immediately jumped to his feet to support Renner with a big smile on his face. Renner looked notably moved by the reception, and made it clear to the audience how happy he was to be there.
"Gotta say, it feels good to be back," Renner said to massive applause. "This year's been a heck of a journey and I'm happy to be here with you, the fans. You guys are the best. You guys really brought this year. You broke records. You turned movies into movements. We heard you all loud and clear, we heard you."
"I certainly got a lot of callousness squashed out of me by that machine," Renner told People. "I've never been bitter, but always maybe a little more callous, a little bit more tough. And I just think those calluses are just scraped off me at this point. Literally, I feel pretty open and wonderfully sensitive and youthful."
