Appearing in Kathryn Bigelow’s 2008 historic Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker, Jeremy Renner turned into a breakout star of the movie. Playing the role of Sgt. 1st Class William James, the leader of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, the actor turned eyes with his performance.
But, there’s an inside story surrounding the film, as shared by Jeremy Renner during his face-to-face discussion with the audience, moderated by Sam Rockwell. The actor claimed to have an unusual arrangement with director Kathryn Bigelow while filming, that helped both of them at their respective jobs.
Jeremy Renner Turned Into a Breakout Star of The Hurt Locker
When Kathryn Bigelow came up with the plot for her 2008 historic movie that led her to win an Academy Award, she avoided hiring Hollywood A-listers. In an attempt to keep audiences wondering who was going to live or die in the movie, the director avoided hiring big-name talents, so that viewers couldn’t judge by their star power.
Thus, when The Hurt Locker was in pre-production, Kathryn Bigelow hired Jeremy Renner to catapult his career and set an unpredictable and suspenseful background for her film. Although the actor had been in the industry for a long time, he was yet to score his success and become a household name. Thus, Bigelow chose the actor to be the breakout star of the 2008 movie.
And certainly, Jeremy Renner’s role as the U.S. Army bomb disposal expert Sergeant 1st Class William James in The Hurt Locker earned him praises and accolades. Eventually, the movie also earned him his first-ever Oscar nod. But, what most people don’t know is that Renner had an unusual arrangement with Kathryn Bigelow for the 2008 movie.
Jeremy Renner Had an Unusual Arrangement With His Director
Taking the Oscar-nominated role in Kathryn Bigelow‘s 2008 historic drama, Jeremy Renner paved the path to his success, since before that role, the actor wasn’t widely popular in Hollywood. However, while the movie turned him into a household name, Renner had his own agreements with the director.
Appearing to have a face-to-face discussion with the audience, Jeremy Renner addressed what went into the film. Discussing his work experience and exciting journey of making the Oscar-winning movie, Renner recalled having a little agreement with Bigelow. As quoted by IMDb, while praising the director, the actor also stated,
“I don’t tell her how to direct and she doesn’t tell me how to act.”
Having this particular agreement with Kathryn Bigelow, Jeremy Renner eased the process of filmmaking. Unwilling to interfere in each other’s work, the actor and the director mutually decided to focus on their respective task. This eventually helped both of them in creating an epic and praiseworthy film.
Watch The Hurt Locker on Amazon Prime Video.
