Jeremy Renner Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ

Jeremy Renner breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Dahmer,' 'The Town,' 'The Hurt Locker,' 'Hawkeye,' 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,' 'Arrival,' 'American Hustle,' 'The Bourne Legacy,' 'Wind River' and 'Mayor of Kingstown.'
00:00 Intro
00:17 'Dahmer'
03:04 'The Town'
05:45 'The Hurt Locker'
10:04 'Hawkeye'
13:07 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'
15:51 'Arrival'
18:39 'American Hustle'
20:35 'The Bourne Legacy'
23:42 'Wind River'
25:51 'Mayor of Kingstown'
Jeremy Renner stars in Mayor of Kingstown streaming now on Paramount+ and Marvel's Hawkeye only on Disney+
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Jeremy Renner Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ

[@FreakUsOut]

He’s been in so many iconic movies and yet I feel like he’s so underrated. What a guy!

[@ravindubandara5219]

Agreed.

[@Ganiscol]

Two Oscar nominations isnt underrated. He will get one before late...

[@gamergod3378]

What are you talking about? What iconic movies has he been in?

[@perkasenior]

His problem is branding, I tell you!

[@advent6679]

@@gamergod3378 you didn't watch the video?

[@betterchapter]

Jeremy Renner is one of the most underrated actors working today.

[@legendaryc4917]

He also is a musician

[@lauraa2778]

@@legendaryc4917 Absolutely!! His Hawkeye Ed Sheeran parody is legendary!

[@Bibblesupremacy1992]

@@legendaryc4917 he’s soooo good

[@sandralee3091]

@@lauraa2778 Yes ! And those two songs he did on SNL. His own songs are really good too - especially Nomad, Sign, Believer and Just My Type. Racy lyrics on the last one - he would have gotten in Robin Thicke/Pharrell kind of trouble if that had become a big hit! But he gets zero promotion, so one's got to find his stuff on his KZbin page.

[@hugegander9477]

its a branding issue

[@Serenify10]

Jeremy Renner, the dude is so much more talented than he’s given credit for! So down to earth and humble. He deserves all the success he gets!

[@helenburdis1927]

Amen 🙏

[@robertreid1579]

I'm so glad Jeremy talked about Arrival. Such a brilliant movie, and also one of my favourite movies that came out in 2016. 2016 had a lot of great movies that year.

[@YzWords]

One of my favorite! Such a great movie.

[@zaynes5094]

@@YzWords Also love the story. It’s as sci-fi as any story I’ve read. As a writer myself, I love Ted Chiang’s stories.

[@zaynes5094]

It's based on the Novelle "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, one of my personal favorites when it comes to Science Fiction authors, and I've read it both in and out of school and I have to say the visual description for the book is intentionally, purposefully, specific and vague at once. The aliens were a letdown, but they did encapsulate the meaning of the story at least. Ted didn't really want a part in the making of that film and just acted as a consultant, but if they ever were to do another film or show based off another of his own Science Fiction, I personally would want to see "The Merchant and The Alchemist's Gate" turned into a full length show. The worlds that he builds are not so easy to follow, even as a fellow Sci-Fi writer myself, despite the very complex language and topics he deals with.

[@elhopper3735]

Hawkeye will forever be one of my favorite Marvel characters. He’s so under appreciated and he’s doing a fantastic job in the Hawkeye show as well. Delivering those emotional scenes and grumpy dad comments with ease. Got me into archery too!

[@brucesnow7125]

Incredible chemistry with Hailee Steinfeld too. Then again, Renner tends to have great chemistry no matter who he stars with.

[@laurenceelisha689]

Renner did a Hawkeye satire song on Jimmy Fallon’s show. Saw it on KZbin. He sang the song, hilarious! Didn’t know he could sing. Then found out he writes too. That really made me a big fan. I already liked him but then he became a favorite.

[@genegreigh8913]

Casting Renner as Clint Barton ("Hawkeye") was a stroke of brilliance. In addition to looking vaguely suitable, he perfectly captured Clint's weary snark. Yes, super-heroic fantasy is preposterous, but we can still love the characters who display the most coherent inner truth. Renner nails this role, and excels at others as well.

[@diannebdee]

I agree. I loved his speech to Wanda about going out to fight as an Avenger. Then the one about "I have a bow and arrow...." Only Renner could have said that quite that way.

[@elhopper3735]

So glad he talked about Bourne! Loved him as Aaron Cross and really hope they make another one with him in it someday

[@sandralee3091]

Yes! But they better make it now, 'cause he ain't gonna be jumping around on rooftops when he's 56... If they wait that long, they're gonna have to come up with a script where somebody else does the skippin' and hoppin'. Will still go see that movie, though.

[@everyoneash]

Probably won't get an Aaron cross sequel but I agree...in fact, legacy has slowly become my favorite Bourne movie. It's actually really well written...

[@thexskating]

YES YES YES!!!

[@willjoc]

You can tell Jeremy pays deep attention to his roles. His description of his role in The Hurt Locker was super intriguing. Seems like a super humble guy!

[@kuzz1191]

ill always love jeremy for the way he delivered that one line "if you could see your whole life before it happened would you changed anything?" "maybe id say how i feel more often" i just relate to that so much its stuck with me

[@BooneLuleyo]

Wind River is such an underrated masterpiece. Mayor of Kingston is amazing too. Jeremy Renner is such an great actor for real. Those two pieces of art are just proof of that.

[@carolpaci9990]

So excellent in all he does .HurtLocker an amazing role for him hope he will be okay after this very tragic accident .

[@manavbhalla2861]

And this excluded SWAT and MI4 and so much more. Man this guy has done some great movies

[@TwistDraw]

Yeah, the Vanity Fair interview left out SWAT too

[@VY-zt3ph]

Did u watch SWAT on UTV action first time?? Cuz I did

[@fourthlandscapejazz]

Just shows to go the deep well that is Jeremy Renner's filmography

[@1c3sly13]

SWAT! Oh 👌

[@pishki]

He was good in SWAT. I like that movie.

[@Dani-rz8dj]

I wept and still weep every time I watch Arrival, too, Jeremy 🥺 One of the most beautiful films of all time.

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@karabellaellaellaella]

I’m sad they didn’t include Ghost Protocol. He has great stories about that movie. But yeah, Arrival and Wind River and Hurt Locker are some of my all-time favorites 💜

[@15Candles]

Renner was one of the best addition in the MI franchise especially protagonist wise. I really enjoyed his character, i would've love to see him back someday

[@moc0097]

That culture scock incident he went though in Starbucks after filming Hurt Locker really hits, puts things in perspective.

[@randomheadful7190]

My son was EOD for the Marines. He used to say, when I would ask if it made him nervous, “If I do my job right, it’s not a problem and if I do it wrong, it’s no longer my problem.”

[@delrey874]

Hurt Locker, Ghost Protocol, Arrival, and Wind River are some of my favorite movies.

[@shikhar.awasthi]

Wind River should be talked about more. It's almost become a movie that only select few have seen and it propagates via word of mouth!

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

It's definitely a gem for seeing Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen collaborating on a non MCU project.

[@YzWords]

Great film, I went and saw it in theaters.

[@sirg-had8821]

That was one solid movie.

[@darksoul9475]

I didn't know much about Jeremy Renner until the Marvel movies and I really liked how he portrayed Hawkeye. I started looking for things he was in and glad I did. He is way more than an action star. What he brings to each character is pretty amazing. The first movie I watched after seeing him as Hawkeye was the Bourne Legacy. Even though it had a lot of action I was surprised that he didn't bring Hawkeye into the role at all (not sure which was done first), or just be a Jason Bourne clone. Same training and type of skills but an entirely different person. Next was Wind River and I was blown away by his acting. All the layers to his character and ability to put so much meaning in every line. Incredible. Most big name actors usually have that one breakout role that no matter what other movies they do, a part of you always sees them as that character. Renner doesn't have that problem, at least not to me. I have not seen everything he has done, yet, but I will. Also looking forward to anything he does in the future.

[@migatronn]

I’m watching this video because I want an inside view of that movie specifically. I just saw it the other day and it was INSANELY good. One of those movies that makes you change your personality for the week.

[@saifmahmudishtiakshushaan462]

Yes he finally talks about American Hustle, Arrival and Wind River, unlike in the Vanity Fair video. Such great movies, especially Arrival. The guy behind the camera essentially conveyed my feelings for that movie.

[@paramitch]

I remember watching Jeremy Renner back when he was just starting out, on Bravo's "The It Factor," a TV show about actors trying to make it big. He was one of the actors, and he came across as this nice, very hardworking down-to-earth guy. And he got "Dahmer" and "SWAT" I think, while filming, and there was a moment when he went to his mailbox and there was a check in it for some ungodly amount of money, like $100k or something. And he took it out and looked at it, and looked at the camera, and was just like, "I think I just made my last late rent payment" or something, and it always stayed with me. He was just so humble and appreciative and he understood that he had kind of won the acting lottery, basically (he's very talented, and deserves it, but I also think he understood how lucky he was). I think he makes great choices -- every movie featured here was terrific, and "Arrival" is easily one of the most beautiful films I'll ever see in my life. Also, I will always feel that "The Bourne Legacy" was a wonderful movie and criminally underrated, and yeah, it's a hill I'm willing to die on. ;)

[@lorenapilipovic5261]

Thank God they put Wind River. That movie is so good

[@lazkraft7917]

I still think Wind River is his best performance by far.

[@delrey874]

Wind River is a very underrated movie. Probably because of Weinstein's involvement, the film was not promoted very much.

[@wheresrachel7843]

Big facts!!

[@shouvikghosh8946]

Best indie of neo western thriller genre...

[@alobo9937]

I need to watch this movie.

[@stephenishola6205]

I’ve always admire Jeremy as a actor.. dude is very underrated but such a class act.. I truly truly loved him in The Town… he was phenomenal in every aspect.. I wish this guy all the more success with his career going forward.

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@Mlynoph]

Jeremy is just such a genuine guy man. Such a great and charismatic guy. Definitely one of my favorites out there. Hurt locker remains one of my favorites and hawkeye remains one of my favorite superheros of all time!

[@Marthyboy88]

Arrival is by far my favorite movie of the past 10 years. Absolutely unbelievably moving film.

[@toddsalkowski448]

I specifically remember that "house climb" in Bourne Legacy. I can't believe he did that move 18 times and they used the second take. He is dedicated to his craft.

[@solasluna192]

I swear they can blindfold me and only listen to Renner talking and I'd know exactly who it is. His speaking voice is so unique and 'his'. Love his songs too. 🤗

[@simondaly9960]

A movie not mentioned and greatly overlooked, is Kill the Messenger. The guy has a niche for real drama and real stories

[@wererer]

Yes that’s such an underrated film by him!

[@Angel_m7]

Jeremy Renner is an amazing actor!

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@sandralee3091]

Such a good actor - he makes his part brilliant in whatever he's in. And a very good singer, and always funny in interviews. What more can you want?

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@teresarandall2315]

Jeremy Renner always comes to mind as probably as one of the most underrated artists in Hollywood. This man is seriously talented, acting, singing, producing. He is the real deal!!!❤

[@Trilingualeks]

Renner really is the best choice for Clint Barton - he's the most grounded guy in the business

[@ThePauseMenuVlog]

I legit adore Jeremy Renner

[@tishw4576]

As a Bourneaholic I loved his performance. It's too bad the movie didn't get the props it deserved. The Bourne story is way beyond one dimensional. In fact, Jeremy has a gift of picking full, rich, and interesting roles. Big fan.

[@madeleinecaraluzzi4306]

I hope you get treatment for your addiction to Bourneahol.

[@m655john]

Incredible actor it’s obvious and my favorite for sure but I get the distinct feeling that if he were your neighbor he would be completely approachable and friendly.

[@brucelau2023]

PRAYERS FOR HIM , i'm really hoping he'll recover soon

[@markdexter6338]

The fact that this video only has 211,111k views is soo disappointing, he is such an awesome actor and is underrated. Many other actors has at least a million views and Jeremy Renner only has this much??

[@rickdalton5191]

incredible actor and the best avenger

[@allisontucker9874]

He needs an Oscar!! He’s such a great actor

[@allisontucker9874]

@@bubblezsuarez8297 he’s also a really good singer too!

[@Biring1]

Jesse James is one of the most underrated movies ever. Such a beautiful masterpiece.

[@scottbarkley496]

Bombed at the box office

[@yoshiD15]

Arrival is one of my favorite movie and he has made some good one that he has become one of my favorite actors.

[@AlexCoombes123]

The assassination of Jesse James is an incredible film.. Jeremy Renner is an awesome actor, and the new Hawkeye series is amazing!

[@jackjetpilot]

The Arrival...greatness!

[@Ganiscol]

Arrival - its not only the film making by Villeneuve, the story by Ted Chiang its based on is a masterpiece - like anything Chiang writes... all the stars aligned for this film. And I'm not surprised Renner is in it.

[@THMstudios]

I’m literally the biggest Hawkeye fan in the world and I’ve never been so excited

[@FishElbow]

Do you have the... jeremy Renner app?

[@THMstudios]

@@FishElbow lmao 💀

[@antsteele871]

Arrival goated and windriver is so underrated

[@rayroc480]

What a Great talent! I don't think he's made a bad movie and there's a few that weren't mentioned (SWAT, MI4 etc..) Definitely 1 of my favorite actors!

[@Xphinity]

Wow, I have watched a few interviews with Jeremy, and they've always been good, but, this dexterity of his mind was really well conveyed in this interview. What a finely tuned mind though, excellent respect and careful consideration into what he believes and again when he speaks. Well educated, perfect phrasing. I would wager that the EOD school and that high-stress to simple division class taught him a lot. Compartmentalization is a tricky skill and can go south really quickly if someone is not self-aware enough to know when to stop or how to tailor the mind specifically to them. I truthfully, greatly respect this man now even though I don't even know him personally. I feel like if he was in a room with me and told me something serious, I would immediately trust him, and I doubt that I'd ever regret that. And that, that's powerful stuff right there

[@rory_3421]

what a legend Hawkeye is

[@robertmanship966]

Its not on this list but i love him in 28 weeks later.

[@do0mslayer142]

YES FINALLY SOMEONE THAT KNOWS THAT MOVIE

[@ubiquitouslight]

He really stood out in that movie, im not surprised he's had so many amazing roles, he makes them memorable

[@jscoona1866]

One of my favourite actors of all time. So many good movies!

[@sdkEd]

No mission impossible, i love him in that

[@scottbarkley496]

Exactly

[@jontti78]

Portraying the late journalist Gary Webb (in Kill the Messenger) is BY FAR his most epic role.

[@cristalyse123]

Jeremy is so talented and just love how diverse he is. He literally does it all and I really think he is gonna take over. People are really starting to see how great he is and I think it’s just gonna get better. Such a hard worker too, he does it all. He just really amazes me.

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@jalabi99]

So Hawkeye & the Scarlet Witch were in _Wind River_ and Hawkeye & the Falcon were in _The Hurt Locker_ and Hawkeye & the God Killer were in _American Hustle_ ... he sure gets around.

[@A-G-A-G]

And with Melina (Rachel Weisz) in the bourne instalment

[@MrGenexxx]

And with Fury in SWAT

[@OscarMPG1]

And Hawkeye & Batman were in The Town.

[@JBrotsis1]

GQ did a remarkably better job with Jeremy’s iconic movie career than Vanity Fair did. Idk why Vanity Fair copies GQ in this series when they drop the ball for every actor.

[@Evergreenvic]

I'm really enjoying Hawkeye, but everyone should go watch Wind River. Shines a big light on a heartbreaking issue.

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@LanceMcCarthy]

I grew up on those streets in Charlestown and Somerville, Jeremy's spot-on about our sense of humor.

[@user-mq6kd6mf1v]

These are usually much better than the Vanity fair counterparts.

[@8teenOfficial]

Wind River is such an underrated and amazing film. More people should see it

[@sagittariuslibra6824]

Dahmer and Arrival are kinds of movies you see once and never again, because they blow you away emotionally…

[@myanafav6886]

So true.

[@santiagoballesteros7857]

Arrival definitely deserves a watch now and again just because as a whole the movie is so fantastic.. Wind River on the other hand, that one is really messed up but a great film too

[@D-Rizzle653]

Jeremy’s one of my favourite actors and he is so underrated

[@AsiaD99]

Black Widow and The town had me shook. I love and respect him so much.

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@nnnickkk]

WIND RIVER!!! Thank you for mentioning this fantastic film!!!

[@FastEddie86]

He seems like a great guy to hang with on a film.

[@NightOwlTX]

Get well soon 🤘❤

[@wiccachick1]

I was introduced to Jeremy Renner when he did a guest spot on Angel and I’ve been a fan ever since.

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@jayme1776]

So glad wind River is in there, one of the best films I've seen

[@walterty3627]

SWAT was the first time Jeremy Renner & Samuel L. Jackson worked together. The film is notable for the appearance of Colin Farrell (Bullseye in 2003's Daredevil).

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@JC21]

Vanity Fair: Who are you?? GQ: I'm you, but better

[@TheChinojo1]

Love this actor!! Omg he is so underrated

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@corvid.monarchy4875]

I love seeing him be passionate, he always gets really quiet when with other people (excluding Paul Rudd) and let’s them lead, it’s nice to hear him just talk.

[@elnino7822]

The rocker he played in House. That was a a good episode

[@benjaminprietop]

yess, glad they put Wind River, that movie is awesome

[@AmritKMagar]

He was Phenomenal in The Town 2010....

[@senjuhashirama1511]

Such a great actor 👏❤

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@justiallen620]

I absolutely love Jeremy Renner. He’s iconic. Love his movies and his music. He’s so talented the guy can do anything.

[@OscarMPG1]

Such an Underated actor. And yet he doesn't want to be an A lister.

[@adamdrouin2295]

The town, wind river and the hurt locker are three of my favorite movies. Renner is a fantastic actor. I can't wait to see what he does next

[@iamnothingeverything6515]

Never knew this guy but he looks like a great actor

[@comfykeegs]

Lololol

[@ashortiz26]

Arrival is out of this world

[@spiritjourney7150]

I just learned of him about 3 years ago. Saw Jason Bourn movie then Mission Impossible. Nice actor and glad he survived accident.

[@DupeFortGaming]

Time traveler moves chair: *Introducing James Van Der Beek as Hawkeye*

[@sabrinazhou4005]

soo underrated

[@jamescaylor6864]

His comments about EOD are 100% spot on everyone I've ever met that was EOD looked like a 9th grade chemistry teacher

[@sassybakka]

What a cool guy, I didn't even realise before, but I've seen almost all of these movies. I haven't seen Dahmer and the Western, Billy the kid or something. I've seen the rest of them and I enjoyed every single one of them. He's a good actor, and a cool guy.

[@tishw4576]

I'm so happy to see this!!! Thank you Mr Renner!

[@822mickey]

The anecdote about overhearing the people talking about cracked nail polish & having to make a quick exit: that is one of the most interesting stories.

[@andreahornok]

He can act or sing or build houses. He is great, in what he does.Personal favourites: Mayor of Kingstown, The Hurt Locker, his role in some Mission Impossible movies and Wind River.😎Hawkeye is the most iconic role, of course.👌

[@BIG-qn6ed]

Loved the town, as a Bostonian I loved his character.

[@bryanmckinney1098]

His best role hands down. I heard he didn't even want to take it at first cause he thought Jem was too unlikable or something? I couldn't imagine a better actor for that specific role. Ben Affleck was great in it as well... Fire movie!

[@Eromadad88]

His role in SWAT is always overlooked

[@surjegurung]

Jeremy Renner is like Ji-Sung Park of MFC - so underrated but naturally exceptional. In all honesty, Hawkeye will always be one of my all-time bestest superhero, & only him is perfect for that role. More than anything, the Hurt Locker is one of my all-time bestest films, and he was absolutely out of this world. More than anything, I firmly believe there has to be a blockbuster HAWKEYE movie.

[@rogerbrodniak5644]

Sorry Vanity Fair...you really should have included Wind River. Here for that...great movie.

[@clarkparker4860]

I was hoping they would cover American Hustle at Vanity Fait. Well done GQ.

[@TheUncleJohn1]

Hurt locker will be one of my all time favorites

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@rjmacready9828]

Me too. One of the best movies of the century

[@Chili-su3mm]

My favorite movies of his are 28 weeks later , The Town, Wind River , Hurt Locker.

[@Thatonegirl989]

I’ve only ever seen him as Hawkeye. I’m curious about learning some of his other roles.

[@chasehedges6775]

Same

[@angelbob77]

Wind River is a great movie. Highly recommend.

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

I like him in Born Legacy even though it wasn't a popular movie.

[@yoshiD15]

SWAT, The Town (shown in this vid), The Hurt Locker, mission impossible: ghost protocol,

[@angelinamejia6810]

Maybe leave Dahmer for last because it's one of those roles and he does so good physically embodying Dahmer that I still have moments where I can't look at Jeremy Renner currently and I saw that movie years ago haha

[@emkay9508]

What a nice guy. I could kick back and have beers with him. Probably the best interview I've seen so far on this channel.

[@debiepritchard1820]

Occasionally, I have a Renners Day and break out all my favorite movies.

[@jeremyrenner2647]

I especially want to appreciate you because you are a wonderful fan. Thank you for your kind comments on my post it means a lot to me 🙏

[@user-dw9ye8ld7l]

I would like to come to that,,?.....all of the ..movies

[@user-dw9ye8ld7l]

😢I love you jeremy.....I have My phone working...I've been writing you at lots of places...I've almost stayed trying

[@giovannifrancis9695]

amazing actor for amazing characters, specially Hawkeye

[@Lazerus2008]

Hurt Locker is an exceptional movie.