Summary
Mayor of Kingstowncreator Hugh Dillon is still honored to have witnessed Jeremy Renner’s return after his devastating snowplow accident. Renner stars in the crime drama as Mike McLusky, whose family holds a unique political power in the titular Michigan prison town as they are the connection between local gangs, prisoners and police. After Renner’s accident in January 2023, it was uncertain if he could ever return to acting, let alone the show, thoughRenner has now returned forMayor of Kingstownseason 3, and the rest of the crew has been excited to welcome him back.
In a recent interview withScreen Rant, Dillon spoke about the shocking return and the changes he has seen in Renner since. The crew is currently editing future episodes ofMayor of Kingstownseason 3, and Dillon has witnessed a physical change in Renner that has been “the most incredible transformation” he has ever seen.Dillon also reflected on the uncertain days after Renner’s accident, and the fact that Renner continues to do his own stunts. Check out his quote below:
Nope, nope, nope. That’s a gift. I don’t know how we did it, but we did it. I can only just go back to so much of — we’re editing right now, and it’s been such an incredible journey that when you mention [Jeremy’s accident], I know where it was, what I was doing, and what we did. The first thing was to see him a couple weeks after his accident, and I’d gone up to his place, and he’s in a wheelchair, beaten up and his mom’s there. He wants to do the show and Taylor’s there, and he’s like, “We just protect Renner, whatever we need to do. He’s loyal and he’s our guy.” So, I was looking at Jeremy and you may see the fire in his eyes, a little pissed off, and he’s determined, and I know him, and I knew he was going to make it.
But from there to where we got was just probably the most incredible transformation I’ve seen any person, let alone an actor, make. We’ve all seen De Niro in Raging Bull, which I thought was the most incredible transition I’ve seen an actor make. So, I had to ask his mom, and he will tell you that she’s a very tough cookie. So, it’s not talking to his lawyers, managers, or agents, it’s her. And she’s basically, “Don’t f–k this up.” [Laughs] So it’s like, “We won’t, and I won’t”, and I meant it. I would go and talk to him regularly. “Here’s where we’re at, this is what we’re thinking of doing.” It didn’t ever come into the conversation [about changes].
I will tell you, as we got closer, he was wondering, “Do I have that swagger?” And I know him and I know the show inside out, and I’m like, “He’s got it. He’s back.” But it wasn’t until he hit the ground in Pittsburgh, and it wasn’t until I watched him do his own stunts — and we didn’t think he was going to do that, and he did, but it was to prove it to himself. So much of what he does is kind of that. This is a guy who’s driven, this is the guy who did his own stunts, who comes back from this kind of traumatic event.
And yeah, I thought, “Oh, we’re going to get a stunt guy to come in here.” I was in that scene, and I watched him jump about two feet and do the work. And then I could see it on his face and I could tell in his energy that he knew he was confident, he was back. He had to do it for himself, because it doesn’t matter what anybody else does, you got to do it for yourself. And for as much as we did to make it work, he did it, and he brought it, on a human level and as an actor. It’s just been incredible to really witness it and be part of it.
Renner’s Unlikely Return To Mayor Of Kingstown Explained
Renner Has A Long and Difficult Recovery
On June 27, 2025, Renner attempted to save a family member from a rogue snowplow and was struck by the vehicle himself. He had multiple injuries and needed surgery to fully recover. He had multiple broken ribs, as well as a broken knee, jaw, shoulder, leg, and ankles. He also injured his liver and broke his jaw, and many other injuries required ample recovery. Renner publicly chronicled his time after the accident, which featured multiple physical therapy sessions astherapists worked to teach him to walk unassisted once again.
With so many injuries, it is unsurprising that Dillon did not expect Renner to ever attempt to do his own stunts again. He expected to hire a stuntperson to take over parts of Renner’s performance to ensure that he could reintroduce Renner to the cast more cautiously. Despite Dillon’s expectations, however, Renner returned to acting with relative ease. By recovering in time to filmMayor of Kingstownseason 3, Renner has also recovered his confidence and is prepared to return for future seasons.
Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
The Jeremy Renner-led Paramount+ original series Mayor of Kingstown is officially set to return for season 4 very soon. Here’s what to know.
Renner’s return is a sign of his dedication to the show and his incredible recovery from potentially life-threatening injuries. It has been only 18 months since his accident, and he has already managed to finish filmingMayor of Kingstownseason 3, which began airing on June 2. Renner chose to prove to himself that he was still capable of performing as he always had, and it is proof of his resilience and loyalty to the show.
Mayor of Kingstown
Cast
Mayor of Kingstown, released in 2021, is a crime thriller series set in a small Michigan town where the McClusky family wields influence among police, criminals, and politicians. As power brokers, they navigate the complexities of a community reliant on the business of incarceration.
