“I had no electricity, no gas, no hot water”: Jeremy Renner Survived ln a $10 Per Month Budget, Eating Ramen and McDonald’s Burgers Before Hollywood Fame
Jeremy Renner has been in the Hollywood entertainment industry since 1995. He has starred in numerous blockbuster movies over the years such as Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, The Bourne Legacy, The Hurt Locker, and many others. He gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of the superhero Clint Barton aka Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Despite having made his film debut in 1995, Jeremy Renner had a hard time making a breakthrough in Hollywood. There might be quite a few reasons for that, but they never deterred Renner who kept trying until he achieved his goals. He has a huge net worth now but there was a time when he did not even have basic amenities.
Jeremy Renner Did Not Even Have the Essential Amenities
There are not many actors in Hollywood who come from strong backgrounds. Most of the A-list actors who grace the screen today live in big houses in the Hollywood Hills, but there was a point in each of their lives when they could not have even thought that they would be able to achieve all this.
Jeremy Renner stood no exception to this. He came from a modest family and tried doing college. Eventually, he dropped out of college to pursue full-time acting. This was when his problems began because it was much more difficult to get a chance in Hollywood than it is now.
In an interview with Men’s Health, Renner recounted to the interviewer how he lived in a studio apartment in Holywood for five and a half years. He said:
“I had no electricity, no gas, no hot water. So I learned to play guitar. I lit candles. I made a vibe out of it. I said, ‘Hey, look, this is romantic. It’s not depressing that I can’t afford power.’ “If I sat and cried about it, which I probably did once or twice, it doesn’t really move the needle. Changing and shifting your perspective—that’s the only thing we have control of in perpetuity.”
The Town actor had a very small monthly food budget of $10. He would have to often eat Ramen and at times, treat himself to McDonald’s when they offered their two burgers for 25 cents special.
Jeremy Renner’s Primary Focus Has Never Been Money
Money is something without which it is hard to survive in the world as one needs it for every little thing. Jeremy Renner definitely understood this better than many others. However, he has never done a job for the huge sum of money that came with it. For him, it has always been about loving his job.
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During the interview with Men’s Health, Renner claimed that he was not sad about having less money because he was doing a job that he loved, saying:
“I always thought, At least I’m doing a job that I love. I’m glad I’m not doing a job just for a paycheck. That’d be fucking miserable. And most people are.”
The S.W.A.T. star might have worked a couple of odd jobs before he had his breakthrough in Hollywood, but none of them have ever been for the sake of money. In fact, he refused to star as the titular character in Hellboy because he did not understand its concept.
