A Tale of Two Broken Arms: Unpacking Jeremy Renner’s Infamous ‘Tag’ Injury
Conclusion at the forefront: In the summer of 2017, during the filming of the action-comedy film “Tag,” actor Jeremy Renner fractured both of his arms while performing a challenging stunt. A fall from a 20-foot-high stack of chairs went wrong, resulting in a fractured right elbow and a fractured left wrist. In a stunning display of professional dedication, he not only finished the scene but continued filming the movie, with his casts being hidden by visual effects.
When you think of a Jeremy Renner injury, your mind likely jumps to his heroic, near-fatal snowplow accident in 2023. But years before that life-altering event, another significant on-set incident showcased the actor’s incredible toughness and commitment to his craft. The story of how Jeremy Renner broke both his arms is a fascinating, and somewhat ironic, tale. It didn’t happen while he was repelling down a skyscraper as a ‘Mission: Impossible’ agent or fighting off aliens as Hawkeye. Instead, it occurred on the set of a lighthearted comedy, proving that even the most seemingly straightforward stunts can carry serious risks. This article delves deep into the specifics of the accident, the immediate aftermath, and the remarkable way the production adapted to an actor with two broken arms.
The Scene of the Accident: A High-Stakes Game of ‘Tag’
To fully understand how this injury happened, one must first understand the context of the film “Tag.” The movie is based on the true story of a group of friends who, for one month every year, engage in a no-holds-barred, cross-country game of tag. Renner plays Jerry Pierce, the group’s legendary, undefeated champion. His character is known for his elaborate schemes, athletic prowess, and an almost superhuman ability to evade being tagged.
The fateful stunt was part of a sequence where Jerry, cornered by his friends in a community hall, attempts a daring escape. The plan was for him to scale a towering, wobbly stack of chairs—estimated to be about 20 to 23 feet high—and launch himself away to safety. It was designed as a “gag stunt,” meaning it was meant to be both thrilling and comical, a testament to Jerry’s over-the-top evasion tactics.
A Detailed Breakdown of What Went Wrong
Stunts, especially those involving falls from height, are meticulously planned. They involve rigs, cables, safety mats, and a team of coordinators to ensure the performer’s safety. However, even with the best-laid plans, things can go awry. In this case, the rigging designed to control the fall of the chairs failed.
“I was on a stack of chairs… it was a stack of chairs, and the chairs didn’t fall. The rig broke,” Renner explained in an interview. “I was supposed to fall with the chairs, and the rigging broke and I went 20 feet and I fell, and I fell on my arms.”
Let’s break down the mechanics of this failure:
- The Intended Stunt: Renner was meant to climb the stack, which would then topple over in a controlled manner. He would ride the falling chairs down, landing safely on cushioned mats placed below. The cables attached to the chair stack were supposed to guide and slow this descent.
- The Malfunction: The cable or a key component of the rigging snapped prematurely. Instead of a controlled topple, the entire structure gave way. This transformed the stunt from a guided fall into a freefall.
- The Impact: Without the braking action of the rig, Renner fell approximately 20 feet, landing with tremendous force directly on his arms. The hard, awkward landing is what caused the severe fractures. He didn’t just break one arm; the impact was so significant that it fractured his right elbow and his left wrist, effectively incapacitating both of his upper limbs.
The Immediate Aftermath: “I’ll Do It Again”
What happened next is perhaps the most telling part of this story and a true measure of Renner’s mindset. Despite what must have been excruciating pain, his first thought wasn’t about the injury. It was about the shot.
In a moment of pure adrenaline-fueled professionalism, Renner didn’t immediately grasp the severity of the situation. He reportedly got up, dusted himself off, and, believing he had simply taken a hard knock, told the director and stunt coordinator that he wanted to do it again. He was ready to climb right back up the (now-broken) stack of chairs to perfect the take.
It was only when he tried to move his arms to climb that the stark reality set in. The pain and lack of mobility made it clear that something was seriously wrong. The on-set medical team intervened, and he was quickly transported to a nearby hospital. The diagnosis confirmed everyone’s fears: a clean fracture of the right elbow and another of the left wrist. His arms were promptly put in casts, and the future of the film suddenly seemed uncertain.
The Show Must Go On: How to Film with a Star in Two Casts
Losing your lead actor to a significant injury midway through production can be a death sentence for a film. It can lead to shutdowns, costly reshoots, or even recasting. But the team behind “Tag,” along with a determined Jeremy Renner, came up with an ingenious plan. The show would go on.
This presented a monumental challenge: How do you hide two broken arms on an actor whose character is defined by his physicality? The answer lay in a combination of modern movie magic and old-school filmmaking tricks.
The Magic of CGI
The primary solution was the use of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI). For the remainder of the shoot, Jeremy Renner performed his scenes wearing his casts, which were then digitally “painted out” in post-production. Here’s how that likely worked:
- Green Screen Sleeves: Renner’s casts were covered in green or blue fabric. This technique, similar to a standard green screen, provides a clean, single-color area that visual effects artists can easily key out and replace.
- Digital Replacement: The artists would then digitally reconstruct his arms in the shots where the casts were visible. This is a painstaking, frame-by-frame process that requires immense skill to look seamless. They had to match the lighting, skin texture, and natural movement of a real arm.
- Performance Limitations: While CGI could hide the casts, it couldn’t magically heal the bones. Renner’s performance had to be adapted. He could still run, jump, and deliver his lines with Jerry’s signature swagger, but any action requiring fine motor skills or heavy lifting with his hands and arms was out of the question. For instance, in one scene post-injury, he is seen vigorously stirring a drink—an action he confirmed was incredibly painful to perform.
Clever Filmmaking and a Committed Actor
Beyond the digital trickery, director Jeff Tomsic and the cinematography team used other techniques to work around the injury:
- Creative Framing: Shots were often framed to keep Renner’s hands out of the picture, focusing on his face or showing him from the waist up.
- Body Doubles: For close-up shots requiring hand movements—like picking up an object or, ironically, tagging someone—a body double was likely used.
- Character Blocking: Renner’s character might be seen with his hands in his pockets or his arms folded in ways that seemed natural but conveniently hid his condition.
The irony was palpable. Audiences would watch the finished film and see Jerry Pierce as the invincible, agile hero, all while the actor playing him was, in reality, nursing two broken arms. It’s a powerful testament to both Renner’s pain tolerance and the invisible art of post-production.
Injury and Recovery Timeline: A Quick Overview
To provide a clear picture of the events, here is a simple timeline of Jeremy Renner’s “Tag” injury and his subsequent journey.
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| The Accident | Occurred in the summer of 2017 on the set of “Tag” in Atlanta, Georgia. Renner fell 20 feet from a malfunctioning chair rig stunt. |
| The Injuries | Confirmed fractures of the right elbow and left wrist. |
| Return to Set | Renner returned to filming almost immediately, wearing casts that were later removed with CGI. |
| First Public Appearance | Attended the premiere of his film “Wind River” and the Karlovy Vary Film Festival sporting his casts, openly joking about the incident. |
| Impact on ‘Avengers’ | The injury occurred before the most intensive filming for Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. While he was still in recovery, his role as Hawkeye in Infinity War was minimal, giving him crucial healing time before the more physically demanding shoots for Endgame. He was, however, unable to do archery training for a period. |
| Full Recovery | Through intensive physical therapy, Renner eventually regained full use of both arms, allowing him to return to high-octane action roles, including the “Hawkeye” series for Disney+. |
A Point of Clarification: The ‘Tag’ Injury vs. The Snowplow Accident
It has become essential to distinguish between Jeremy Renner’s major accidents, as they are vastly different in scale and circumstance. The public consciousness is now rightly focused on his miraculous survival and recovery from the 2023 incident, but the “Tag” injury remains a significant part of his story.
- The “Tag” Film Set Injury (2017): This incident involved two broken bones (right elbow, left wrist). It happened in a controlled, professional environment (a film set) due to an equipment malfunction. While serious and painful, it was not life-threatening.
- The Snowplow Accident (2023): This was a life-threatening event that occurred at his private residence. It involved being run over by a 14,000-pound snowcat, resulting in over 30 broken bones, blunt chest trauma, a collapsed lung, and a pierced liver. His survival was considered a miracle.
Understanding the difference highlights a crucial aspect of Renner’s character. The resilience and grit he demonstrated by continuing to film “Tag” with two broken arms was, in hindsight, a preview of the superhuman strength and determination he would later need to survive and recover from a far more catastrophic ordeal.
A Legacy of Resilience
The story of how Jeremy Renner broke both his arms is more than just a piece of Hollywood trivia. It’s a profound case study in professionalism and perseverance. Many actors would have let an injury of this magnitude halt production, leading to massive delays and financial costs. Renner, however, chose a different path. He endured the pain, embraced the awkwardness of green-screen casts, and delivered a performance that gave no hint of the physical agony he was experiencing.
It underscores the unseen challenges of filmmaking, where even a comedy can demand a physical toll worthy of an action blockbuster. For Jeremy Renner, the fractures he sustained while playing a game of tag were not a setback but a testament to his ethos: the show must always go on. It’s a story of grit that, in the light of his later struggles, shines even brighter as a powerful example of the unshakeable spirit of one of Hollywood’s toughest actors.