A year and a half ago, I interviewed Mayor of Kingstown’s co-creator Hugh Dillon about Season 2 not long after Jeremy Renner’s near-fatal snowplow accident. At the time, he told me that he knew the Avengers star would be OK, however, the actor was also still deep in the throes of recovery. Now, the Paramount+ show’s star is back in action, and the co-creator and actor behind Ian told me about the moment he realized Renner was really ready to rock at full force.
Season 3 of Mayor of Kingstown just premiered on the 2024 TV schedule, and I had the chance to chat with Hugh Dillon about the first few episodes and working with Jeremy Renner. Kingstown went into production about a year after the leading actor’s accident, and the Flashpoint actor noted that at the time his co-star wasn’t at full confidence just yet. However, he believed in his friend, as he said:
Well, he did his own stunts, which is crazy. And also I remember it was about that swagger he has. He didn't have 100% confidence right out of the gate. But I did, because I work with him. And I know him well, and I see if you've got it.
Renner was cautiously optimistic going into Kingstown production, and so was Dillon. I asked both men about filming the show, and they noted that the Mike actor was able to jump back into the action quicker than expected. While the Hawkeye star had to “interject” his own physical limitations and recovery into the show, he was also able to do a lot of the things he’s always been able to do.
Dillon told me about a specific fight scene that proved that Jeremy Renner was back in action, as he said:
And it wasn't until that fight scene where I thought we're gonna say and cut and pull in the stunt guys. I was in that scene, and then I went over the monitors and said ‘Okay, great, we’re gonna bring in the stunt guys.’ And he went for it. And I watched him launch himself. And I was like, ‘Holy fuck, he's back.’
He is back! As I’ve noted before, if I wasn’t aware of Renner’s recovery journey, I wouldn’t even have known he is still working back to full health just by watching Mayor of Kingstown.
Hugh Dillon went on to tell me that his lead actor surprised himself when he did that action sequence, as he said:
You saw him walk around after that scene, turnaround and like, you could just tell it, you know, the fact now he's confidence is in his body and in his mind. And it was a joy to see that, because that meant that is the first sign of accepting his recovery. He's not sensitive.
When I interviewed Renner, he noted that his ability to get back into the swing of things, especially when it came to the action, was emotional, which makes sense. He's gone through so much in the last year and a half, and being able to perform at such a high level while still healing has to be incredibly gratifying for everyone involved in the show.
In the first episodes of Mayor of Kingstown’s third season, we’ve seen Renner’s character deal with major tragedy, and things are really heating up, so more action is inevitable. However, as the show has proven, and Dillon and Renner have said, he’s not just ready for it, he’s killing it.
To see Jeremy Renner and Hugh Dillon back at it in Season 3 of Mayor of Kingstown, you can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and catch new episodes every Sunday.
