Jeremy Renner biography

Synopsis

Jeremy Renner was born on January 7, 1971, in Modesto, California. He made his film debut in 1995’s National Lampoon's Senior Trip. After numerous guest spots, he won a recurring role on Angel in 1999. In 2002, he had his first major career breakthrough in the movie Dahmer. With his performance in 2009's The Hurt Locker, Jeremy Renner has established himself as one of Hollywood's rising stars.

Early Career

Actor Jeremy Renner was born on January 7, 1971, in Modesto, California. With his performance in 2009's The Hurt Locker, Jeremy Renner has established himself as one of Hollywood's rising stars. He discovered acting while attending Modesto Junior College. Eventually moving to Los Angeles, Renner first garnered strong reviews for his role in the play Search and Destroy, which he also co-directed.

Making his film debut in 1995, Renner starred in the comedy National Lampoon's Senior Trip. He then landed a few television movies, such as 1996's A Friend's Betrayal and 1997's A Nightmare Come True. After numerous guest spots, Renner won a recurring role on Angel, playing a vampire in 1999. He also began working with a friend on buying and rebuilding houses in the Los Angeles area around this time to supplement his income.

Big Break

In 2002, Renner experienced his first major career breakthrough with the independent drama Dahmer. His riveting portrayal of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead and helped him get an agent. "It made auditioning a bit easier to be a little more respected or at least known when you walked into a room . . . It was strange to be the new guy in town who had actually been here for 10 years," Renner explained to Back Stage.

Continuing to give solid performances, Renner worked on a variety of projects, from the big budget action flick S.W.A.T (2003) with Colin Farrell to the sexual harassment drama North Country (2005) with Charlize Theron. He also starred in several independent films, such as Neo Ned (2005), in which he played a white supremacist living in a mental institution. Taking on somewhat lighter fare, Renner starred as a death row inmate in the dark comedy Love Comes to the Executioner (2006).

'The Hurt Locker' and Upcoming Projects

In 2007, Renner played a courageous soldier in the thriller 28 Weeks Later. He soon played another type of military officer in The Hurt Locker, which explored the travails of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team working in Iraq. "The role was so rich and complex, and the story of EOD made it so new and fresh. I trained with EOD for over a year to accurately portray these guys, these heroes," Renner told USA Today. His efforts paid off handsomely, winning him accolades for his compelling depiction of Staff Sergeant William James, an expert on defusing bombs who seemed to be addicted to the adrenaline rush associated with his work. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker earned numerous award nominations, including an Academy Award nod for Renner.

Renner will next appear in the crime drama The Town with Jon Hamm, Ben Affleck and Blake Lively.