Robert Downey Jr. Was There For Him

The Avengers assemble for each other when they’re in need.

In a conversation with People, celebrating Robert Downey Jr.’s first Oscar win, Jeremy Renner opened up about how his co-star was there for him following his near-death experience after being run over by a snowplow.

In the weeks after his horrible accident, he spent some time in the ICU, and he shared that Downey reached out to him constantly. “We ended up having really great chats on FaceTime like we were dating or something,” Renner recalled.

The Mayor of Kingstown star explained that he was suffering from “other-worldly pain,” which Downey helped him with by talking to him about other things and taking his mind off of what he was feeling. “He’s like, ‘Dude, the most important thing is you look good. I don’t care how you feel, as long as you look good that’s all that matters.’”

During one of the conversations he had with his friend at the time, the Oppenheimer star joked that he needed to get better quickly because he and his wife, Susan Downey, were fans of Mayor of Kingstown and needed to know what happened next in the Paramount+ series. (It has since begun production.)

“He’s like, ‘You’ve got to get back to do Mayor because we need to see what happens,’” the Hawkeye star said. “His ways are very heartwarming.”

Jon Favreau, who directed the Sherlock Holmes star in 2008’s Iron Man and its sequel, echoed Renner’s sentiments, sharing that Downey is constantly reaching out to people, “even when he’s not working.”

“He’s still connecting,” the actor-director said. “He really keeps relationships going, and he’s always checking in and always keeps those channels of communication and those relationships open.”

The Sympathizer star isn’t the only Avenger to come to their co-star’s side in his time of need. The Hurt Locker actor previously revealed that “all those guys” went to his bedside following the accident and were with him throughout his recovery process.

On Jan. 1, 2023, news broke that Renner had been in a devastating snowplow accident at his home in Reno, Nevada. He was run over by a 14,300-pound snowcat while trying to stop the machine from hitting his nephew. He broke 30 bones when he was pulled under the PistenBully and had to have his rib cage rebuilt with metal, as well as metal plates put into in his face and titanium rods in one of his legs.