Ben Rothstein/Marvel Studios
KEY POINTS
- Evangeline Lilly said she recently visited Jeremy Renner at his house
- The “Ant-Man” star said Renner was in a wheelchair but “has recovered like a mo-fo”
- She remembered Renner wheeling himself and laughing with his friends during the visit
Jeremy Renner’s fellow Marvel star Evangeline Lilly has shared how the actor is doing, weeks after the New Year’s Day snowplow accident that left him hospitalized.
The “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” actress, 43, told Access that she visited the “Hawkeye” star at his home just “the other night.” According to her, Renner’s spirits were high as he continues to recover from his injuries.
“He was in a wheelchair,” Lilly said. “And when we made that movie [2008’s ‘The Hurt Locker’], he was so young and he was full of verve, and I remember just being so impressed by him. What’s so ironic is at that point I was like the ‘celebrity cameo’ on some level because I was on ‘Lost,’ and I was like, ‘Who’s this kid?'”
The “Crisis” actress has nothing but praise for Renner, 52, whom she called a “legend.” She also remarked on how “incredibly brave and strong” the “Bourne Legacy” star is.
“He has recovered like a mo-fo,” said Lilly. “I walked in his house and got chicken skin, ’cause I was like, ‘Why are you mobile? Why are you mobile? What’s happening?’ I expected to sit at his bedside and hold his hand while he moaned and groaned in pain and wasn’t able to move. He was wheeling himself around, laughing with his friends. It’s a miracle, a straight-up miracle.”
Lilly went on to express how impressed she was by how quickly Renner has been recovering.
“He’s made of something really tough, that guy. You’ve always been able to see that in him. He is recovering incredibly, and I’m so grateful,” she continued.
Lilly added that what “struck” her the most about Renner’s ordeal was that he was “awake” during the entire “highly traumatic” near-death experience. She said the stories Renner had told her about the accident, including what he could see and hear during the ordeal, were hard to forget.
“He’s got a journey to go through now,” Lilly told Access. “That’s what nightmares are made out of, and he lived through it and he’s on the other side now.”
On Jan. 1, Renner suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries in a snowcat accident in Reno, Nevada. He underwent two surgeries and stayed in intensive care.
After the surgeries, he shared on Jan. 4 a selfie from his hospital bed and thanked his friends, fans and supporters for their prayers and “kind words.”
“Thank you all for your kind words. I’m (sic) too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all,” he wrote on Instagram.
Renner has shared more updates with fans since returning home and beginning physical therapy.
“Morning workouts, resolutions all changed this particular new years,” he wrote on Instagram on Jan. 21. “…These 30 plus broken bones will mend, grow stronger, just like the love and bond with family and friends deepens. Love and blessings to you all.”
