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Where are you coming from, guy?
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I thought we were done with you. I thought we were done.
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Hey, what's going on, everybody?
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From First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans, and you're watching Hot Ones.
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It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
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And today we're joined by Jeremy Renner.
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He's a two-time Oscar-nominated actor whose acclaimed credits include The Hurt Locker, Arrival, The Town, American Hustle, and I could go on and on.
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He has a current of high-profile projects on the way as well, Hawkeye season 1, which premieres on Disney Plus November 24th, and The Mayor of Kingstown, a 10-episode American crime thriller coming to Paramount Plus on November 14th.
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Jeremy Renner, you've been a very busy guy.
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Thanks for taking the time for Hot Ones, and welcome to the show.
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Yeah, thank you very much.
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How are you around spicy food?
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Like, what's going through your head right now as we prepare to dig in?
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Uh I feel like we're going to compete or fight. Okay.
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That's just feels like it's set up already.
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Do something wrong, I'm going to start swinging.
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All right, well, I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready, Jeremy.
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Um yeah, I like spicy food, right?
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But I like to taste my food when it's spicy.
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It's supposed to just accent the food.
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I know as we get you a little bit further along, it might be the opposite of that, but I'm always down.
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I'm up for the challenge.
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Don is sliding in some napkins for us, just in time. A diaper.
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So, this first one will be the garlic classic Fresno Yes. edition. All right. Mhm. Mhm. Delicious.
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So, one of your big upcoming TV projects is The Mayor of Kingstown, a crime thriller that's set in the Rust Belt.
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What makes the show's creator, Taylor Sheridan, who directed you in Wind River, what makes him such a master of the modern small-town American crime drama?
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Well, he's got a very specific, clear voice.
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Um he's uh pretty fearless in how he writes.
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He He writes very specifically.
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And what I love about Taylor Sheridan's writing is that it's it's equally as like intimate and beautiful and tender as it is violent and ferocious and shocking in a lot of ways.
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But he doesn't do it for shock value.
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It's just all It's all about the truths of things.
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But he goes to the extremes of of uh human behavior and uh in in his storytelling with the with those sort of extremes. Okay. Yeah. Well, this this bliss. This bliss is nice.
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I'm going for the real one. That is bliss.
2:56
So, in addition to acting, I know that you've acquired and renovated dozens of homes over the years and in a 2014 interview with Larry King compared building a house to the closest thing to producing a movie.
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Do you have a favorite wood?
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When Nick Offerman was on the show, he called white oak the most heroic of woods.
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I mean, I I used iron wood on my the last house that I built and um cuz it's an exterior wood and it it's it is cuz after its name, it's um it is like iron.
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It's hard to even put a nail or a screw through it. It's so dense.
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Um but it's great cuz it's very lasting.
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Do you have any foundational home decor advice that you think could be relevant to anyone from a college kid in their dorm room to someone vying for the cover of Architectural Digest?
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I Just because it's you like it doesn't mean it's good for the room or the whole scene, right?
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You know, that maybe that 49ers poster is not going to be the most appropriate thing for the living room or whatever the Farrah Fawcett poster, right?
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Think about, you know, the whole scope of like the room. What does the room need?
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Uh center point uh when you walk into a room, if it's a fireplace, whatever it is, it's going to be the main focal point, and then work off from there.
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I always start with like a neutral color palette.
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Cuz you can always add color and art and pillow or throw, those kind of things.
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And then you mix um elements with wood, um water and fire.
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There's a fountain, use iron, use fabric.
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Just mix that all woods all that all that kind of stuff.
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I think that's uh you you have a good starting point from there. The haufs. All right. Mhm. This is my breakfast. Thanks off. For now.
4:41
So as a movie star and gearhead, can you share a Hollywood trade secret when it comes to the art of the chase scene?
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I once saw you post a picture, maybe from a Marvel set, where it looked like the whole thing was being diagrammed out with like matchbox cars.
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Oh yeah, that's that's what the you know, some of the stunt drivers and stunt coordinators will use to to show other drivers and actors just to show kind of the whole scope of the things.
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But they'll use like literally these match cars.
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They did it we did it on the the Hawkeye show.
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There's a big uh sequence in there with with vehicles and and kind of have to show what's going on and and how it's all going to run down, so no one's surprised. Is that typical?
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Anytime in my experience, I haven't been in a ton of car stuff, but when there was and they were intense, uh it was all done with like Hot Wheels. Yeah, pretty funny. All right.
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Yeah, I don't even taste any heat on that one. Well, enjoy that. will kick in later.
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For about 3 minutes, you can't speak.
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Enjoyed that part of the show. Yeah, I am, trust me. Trust me.
5:53
So, if I only have an afternoon in Modesto, is it better to tour the McHenry Mansion or catch a Modesto Nuts game at John Thurman Field? Hmm.
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Well, I you know, at your age I would have said just take the next exit, you know.
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I'm going to somewhere else.
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Did you ever spend any time on like the Modesto cruise route from Montgomery Boulevard to J Street?
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That was a that was a very very big thing in the community when you could actually cruise at the time.
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Now now you can't, but back then it was very very famous thing with you, you know, and George Lucas and all that all that happened and became very popular thing.
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There was the only thing that I did as a kid when you had a car on the weekend you just drive up and down McHenry and you know, see all the cars and do the thing and that was actually, you know, a fun thing to do.
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But then it got too raucous and you know, people were crazy and it disturbed the neighbors so they shut it all down. So.
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Do you remember your first ever play or local production?
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I was actually able to track down on YouTube. I think it's from 1990.
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You're playing the Scarecrow in the Modesto Community College production of Wizard of Oz. Correct.
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Yeah, yeah, that was uh the first uh job I ever had in in theater or as an actor.
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I was playing the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz and that was a really great experience, man.
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I mean it cuz it also ran um with with no act break either.
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They decided just to make like one long just run so the kids can really enjoy it and went to all the schools and invited them and did the performances for them at the schools and I still have a a lot of the all the kids sort of responses and stuff that they that they sent to us.
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Uh it was really really really great.
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It was the first sort of step into like, you know, having a putting smiles on kids' faces.
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That was a beautiful thing.
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This is uh with the hot head?
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Yeah, Hot Heads Revolutionary. All right. Yeah.
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A little bit more of a kick, but nothing you can't handle.
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That wasn't too bad, but yeah, it was a little bit more kick on that one. [ __ ] sadist. All right, Jeremy.
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We have a recurring segment on our show called Explain That, Graham, where we do a deep dive on our guest's Instagram, pull interesting pictures that need more context.
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So, we'll show you the picture over here on the monitor.
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You just tell us the bigger story. Uh-huh. This picture is nuts.
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What do you remember about the mechanics of shooting a mile and a half up the Burj Khalifa with Tom Cruise for Ghost Protocol?
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Yeah, this is um you're looking at in this position, you look down and look everything looks like little LEGOs.
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Even skyscrapers look like little LEGOs.
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If I fell out, I can make good two or three phone calls before I hit the ground.
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Then I can say, "Hey, man, you know, I'm out. I'm going down." Yeah, it was far.
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It was is it was so high up. Gosh, who is kicking? Bastard.
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Um everyone else is like harnessed in behind me.
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I had one guy just holding me with a rope on it's a regular old belt.
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And I'm like and I'm looking back and he's like on his cell phone.
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And I'm like cuz if he doesn't have me, I'm going to keep sliding out of the window and I told him Tom, I was going to grab onto anything, so just be prepared cuz I was it's pretty terrifying.
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And I told this guy I'm like I was yelling at him.
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I'm like make sure you have me before I commit to going out cuz this is before I really went all the way out cuz my body was already it goes like this, right?
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Here I can still hold myself.
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But it was it was our conversation was pretty funny there.
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The safety net was a little questionable.
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It's a little questionable. Yeah.
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How would you describe what it was like to hit 9 Gs in an F-16?
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Challenging, painful, like 13 elephants sitting on you.
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It's uh you have to work very, very hard not to pass out.
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And these guys can do it so easily.
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I have such admiration respect for these pilots, but boy, is it it's is a lot of effort. It's a lot of effort. Yeah.
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Speaking of trying not to pass out, you ready to move on here to the back half? Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
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We're already getting into it.
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This thing doesn't even have a a nice-looking label.
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Yeah, that's how you know you're Probably means it's going to it means you're going to [ __ ] me. All right. to [ __ ] me. I already know. Sign a waiver situation. I already know.
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This is the Señor Lechuga here in the sixth spot. And the name. Uh-huh. Mhm. Yeah, it's not so bad.
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You know, this one has a nice sort of like cinnamony kind of entry point, but then I feel like it kind of has that time release slow burn situation.
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Yeah, I'm getting a little moist. Is that normal? Totally normal. Totally normal.
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This crew, they've seen some things over here.
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But careful around your eyes.
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That'll be the one thing I'll Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not touching. No, no, trust me. You see me doing this. I know.
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I'll bet a hot sauce bet right there.
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Yeah, you don't want to You don't want to put it in your eye.
10:52
So, in speaking broadly about the roles that attract you, I've heard you make an interesting point about how you like to play suppressed characters because there's more internal nuance to figure out. Yeah.
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When things are all spelled out for you pretty on the page Like it's all kind of out there.
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It's it's there's there's less room to explore.
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Um when things are kind of you're forced into your your hand into the creative process of understanding a character and behavior.
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Um like what you know, you can still talk a lot and do all these things, but you know, but when you don't know the intention behind it, there's the coiled spring.
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It's like characters like, you know, Jem in The Town or or like, "Well, is this a good guy or a bad guy?"
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Or it's like or is he going to kill me or give me a hug? I'm not quite sure.
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I was like there's that underlying sort of coiled spring something that's going to come out and it's a very actionable thing. All right.
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This is the Buddha love fire.
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We're kicking it up a notch. Right.
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This is this is all messed up, right? Yeah. This is the one. All right, I'm ready. The Buddha love fire. All right.
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Still tastes like chicken. It's good sign. Little peppery. Mhm. This one? Yeah. Nice.
12:06
And speaking of the coil, you know, it has KIND OF THAT WOO, YEAH. I LOVE IT.
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SO, WHENEVER WE HAVE an actor as prolific as you, we like to fact check some of the folk lore surrounding the project.
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Is it true that you became Is it true that you became a quick study at card tricks and learned to spit fire when playing a street magician for your role in The Immigrant?
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I like to spit fire now, that's for sure.
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That one I had to learn this dance routine.
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I had to learn all these magic tricks and slide of hand with hiding the cards and all that stuff.
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And that was a fun departure of things that I done in the past, especially during those four movies prior.
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They're all like action stuff and just beating people up or getting beat up.
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This is actually just a really cool skill set.
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And that's pretty much all I did for 3 days and and I actually got pretty decent at it. It was fun. Yeah.
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Is there any truth to the online rumor that you actually spent time with convicted bank robbers to prepare for your role in The Town? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Well, Ben Well, he didn't say that initially.
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He was like, just hang out with these guys.
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Just go hang out with them and they'll take care of you.
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And that's where I learned the accent and the thing then they were telling me you got to have a 20-year bit.
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I'm like, what's 20-year bit? Uh, 20 years in prison. I'm like, all wow. What were you in for?"
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I'm like, "Well, yeah, yeah, armed robbery, that sort of thing." Like, "No shit." I'm like, "Yeah."
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And this guy is just staring at me.
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I'm like, "Oh my goodness, this is intense."
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But you know, they they loved me.
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They loved that, you know, Ben was part of the process.
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And you know, I wasn't really ultimately afraid, but like, these are guys that, you know, you kind of should be afraid of, but you know, they're allies, not enemies, so thank god. That's important. Yeah.
13:52
And then finally, is it true that your first ever paid acting gig was at a local police academy where you played the role of a criminal perpetrator for like 50 bucks a pop?
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Yeah, yeah, there was a um they would have just put me in a closet and said, "All you got to do is the police officer is going to come knock on the door and just don't do anything that they say."
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They were like like unrelated some disturbance or whatever. So, I'm like, "Okay."
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And then they close the door and then officer comes in and says, "Yeah, action." Whatever it was.
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And I'm just like pacing back and forth, hopping up and hopping and screaming, "Go [ __ ] you." Going crazy.
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They're like, "Hey, sorry, sir. Excuse me, sir."
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I'm like, "Fuck yourself."
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He opens the door, I kick him right in the nuts.
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I think I went a little over the top.
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But you know, look where it took you.
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Yeah, yeah, you know, but I got paid, I got paid 50 bucks.
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And they brought me back. They did bring me back. Oh, recurring role.
14:39
Yeah, yeah, they brought me back. Yeah.
14:43
All right, Jeremy, are you ready to move on here? How are you doing?
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one eye, but that's fine. Let's go for it. I got one more. Okay, there we go. It's great. I'm I'm into it.
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I got to I got to do some exercise on here, didn't I? There you go. Yeah. I went for it.
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Something serious right there.
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going to lick my fingers on it, but What's this one called?
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The bomb beyond insanity.
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Yeah, yeah, that's [ __ ] hot. Story checks out. Yep.
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Isn't it with the with heat? And certain Ooh, yeah.
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Goddamn parts of your tongue, it gets hotter, right? Yeah.
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keep it like on the tip, maybe it won't be so hot, but it's I'm the dick that is savoring it. Right.
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Yeah, I did I did see the way that yeah, you kind of like it was like a sniff of of wine.
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Yeah, this is how you kind of took that whole thing in. This is how it is.
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But yeah, I don't taste the chicken on this one.
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No, that's that is out the window. Yeah.
15:46
What's your lasting memory of off-road racing at the Baja 500?
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You know, my interest in that Hang on. Oh, I guess what?
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My interest was piqued when you said that you needed a kidney belt in order to keep your insides from getting slapped around.
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I have no idea what you're talking about right now. Huh?
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What about a kidney belt? The Baja 500.
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Yes, of off-road racing at the Baja 500.
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I got a co-drive and that Let me just Yeah, you know.
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Find some peace for a minute. Let me just find it. Yeah. Okay, I'm back on Earth. I'm with you. I'm with you. We're connected. Yeah, okay, good. Yeah, co-driving.
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Interesting race where it takes two people to drive car cuz one person's job is just to steer and tell them the level of the turn that's coming up.
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And you have to Yeah, you got to strap in cuz your body bounces all around.
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And I'm my mouth is on fuego. Yeah, ready though.
16:55
I know that for many years, the Norton Commando is a prized possession in your garage.
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As a motorcycle enthusiast, how would you explain the holy grail status of that bike to someone like me?
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Well, it takes like the the cool factor of the original.
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Where you coming from, guy?
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Thought we were done with you. Thought we were done. You're done. All right. The Norton Commando.
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What's great about the modern day one has all modern day technology, keeps the cool old factor of the old bikes.
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But looks like it's a little bit on steroids to give it, you know, like it's been in the gym.
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So, it's got a little beefiness to it as modern technology, but still has a real cool old cafe racer styling.
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So, that's why I love it. Well, I'm sold.
17:39
Jeremy, are you ready to move on here to the next wing? How you feeling? I'm feeling great. Yeah. Okay, ready. Jeremy, ready? Yeah.
17:53
This next one is going to help. It's not helping. We're past that point. Whatever. Hellfire's Crate. Great. That was awful.
18:08
But I you know, I I could taste the flavoring and the spices in that and the other one for whatever reason just went right to I don't like you.
18:18
Is there a dive or karaoke bar that you missed most from your ignoble days, your early ignoble days in West Hollywood? Yeah, there's a bunch.
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I mean, jeez, that was so much part of my social life.
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Just being broke and like I'd go out and sing karaoke with and that's where I met most of my friends.
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And heck, Amy Adams I I met there and Chris Pratt, I met all those peeps in in karaoke bars.
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There was like Barney's Beanery was a big one we all went through, but all over. We went everywhere. Jay Sloans.
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Jay Sloans, another big one.
18:45
Wow, we went there a lot.
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We just got half time we're barely drinking. We just go out and sing.
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And cuz I couldn't afford to drink or eat anyway, but you know, because we'd frequent the place so much and because we could sing, we'd bring people in and then they would buy us drinks and food and so it was a great way to not starve as an actor.
19:07
All right, Jeremy Renner.
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What are you doing with that one? Why are you shaking it? We have to add to it? This is the last dab.
19:20
We call it the last dab cuz it's traditional on here to put a little extra on the last wing.
19:23
You don't have to if you don't want to. Well, I mean, god. Why not? Last dab.
19:32
Doesn't mean you have to eat the last dab, do you? Oh, god.
19:36
Oh, you know, there is, I guess, a loophole there. Yeah. I'll do it. Gone this far, right?
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And crushed it, by the way. Whoa! That's not a dab. It's still not a dab. That is a smatter. It's a slather. It's a pure slather. All right. I'll figure it out. Respect. Oh, god. Cheers, Jeremy. What a ride. Bad decision.
20:06
I think we're good on You know, it's all over my lips.
20:13
But the good news, Jeremy Renner, is that we are now at the latest in a long line of one degree separation from Jeremy guests that we've had on the show.
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From your three-time co-star Elizabeth Olsen to your friend Anthony Mackie to Scarlett Johansson, who may or may not have actually stolen beer from your green room to quell the aftermath of eating the Bomb Beyond Insanity.
20:36
But I want to narrow the scope on Hot Ones favorite Paul Rudd. Yes.
20:42
Now that you're doing press tours on a solo mission, what do you miss most about tag teaming junkets with your co-star in 50-Year-Old Virgin?
20:51
Uh there's Yeah, there's no there's no one more fun to do just life with, right?
20:55
I have like so much man love for that guy.
20:58
He just brings out the best in people, I guess.
21:00
He's He's got just such a wonderful way, and then we just had like the strangest, most beautiful bond.
21:06
Yeah, that was probably the the most fun press tour that we had on a movie that we could say nothing about. Right. Right.
21:13
That's why we just came up the idea, let's just talk about this.
21:17
Why we wearing each other's faces on each other.
21:19
We had something to actually talk about.
21:20
That's what I talked about in Kimmel and all the shows.
21:21
We could promote this movie that doesn't exist.
21:27
We just had a good time doing it. It was awesome. It was awesome.
21:30
Well, Jeremy Renner conquering the wings of death today. Look at us. Look at us. Who would have thought? Not me.
21:35
And now, there is nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you, my friend.
21:39
This camera, this camera, this camera.
21:41
Let the people know what you have going on in your life. Fire. I have fire in my face. In my eye holes. Fire. Is going on in my life. Like right now. Hang on a sec.
22:00
Uh check out uh Mayor of Kingstown, November 14th.
22:02
Check out Hawkeye, November 24th. SEE IT THE ARE.
22:17
THAT'S THE HOT ONES EXPERIENCE. YEAH, THIS IS AWESOME. This is awesome. It'd be fun. Yeah. Yeah. Ooh. My goodness.