Jeremy Lee Renner was born in Modesto, California, to Valerie (Tague) and Lee Renner, who managed a bowling alley. He grew up with four younger siblings in a tumultuous yet happy childhood. After graduating from Beyer High School, Renner attended Modesto Junior College, where he studied computer science, criminology, and psychology before being drawn to the theater department.
Renner's early career was marked by a mix of police training exercises and drama classes. He left college to study at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, then moved to Hawaii and later to Los Angeles. He devoted himself to theater, starring in and co-directing the critically acclaimed "Search and Destroy."
Renner's breakthrough role came in 2002 with his portrayal of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, earning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He went on to appear in films like S.W.A.T. (2003),Neo Ned (2005),and 12 and Holding (2005),garnering critical acclaim.
In 2007, Renner starred in Take (2007) and 28 Weeks Later (2007),as well as the Western epic The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). His performance in The Hurt Locker (2008) earned him an Academy Award nomination for best actor, as well as nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards, the Screen Actors Guild, and the BAFTA Awards.
Renner's subsequent roles include The Unusuals (2009),The Town (2010),Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011),The Avengers (2012),American Hustle (2013),and Kill the Messenger (2014).
Renner's strengths as an actor lie in his ability to thoroughly embody his characters, capturing audiences with his expressive eyes and visceral depictions of flawed, complicated individuals.
In addition to acting, Renner is a singer, songwriter, and musician, performing with the band Sons of Ben early in his career. He has also been a United Nations Goodwill Peace Ambassador, raising awareness for mine-clearing efforts in Afghanistan.
Despite his success, Renner remains humble and grounded, renovating and restoring old Hollywood homes and valuing loyalty and a sense of age and history.
