Jeremy Renner brought his 13-year-old daughter, Ava, to Rome on Friday, October 23, for a rare public outing together. The father and daughter posed for photographers during the city’s Alice nella Città festival.
The actor, 55, attended the event’s 24th edition to receive a special award from its youth jury and give a masterclass, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The festival’s tribute also included a screening of two episodes of Hawkeye, the Marvel series in which he plays Clint Barton.
Asked whether he would direct a film about the accident he survived, Renner explained how fatherhood shapes his decisions about taking on work behind the camera.
Renner and Ava Attend Two Rome Photocalls
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At the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Renner wore a gray suit with a blue shirt and dark tie. Ava chose a black long-sleeved top and a flowing pale skirt. Later, at Teatro Sistina, he changed into a dark suit while she wore a blue off-the-shoulder dress.
Renner shares Ava, his only child, with former wife Sonni Pacheco. She has joined him at selected industry events, including the 2017 Academy Awards, when she was three.
Why He Would Leave Directing to Someone Else
“I have no intention of sacrificing three years of my life by being away from her,” Renner said during a press discussion before his masterclass, according to Cinecittà News.
He said Ava would have to approve such a decision, something he doubted she would do. He would prefer another filmmaker to take charge.
Renner also said the material would need to tell a story with meaning beyond his personal circumstances. When he jokingly suggested that Ava might direct it herself, she shook her head.
Recovery Changed Their Roles at Home
On January 1, 2023, Renner was run over by a roughly 14,000-pound snowplow near his Nevada home while trying to protect his nephew. He suffered extensive injuries and underwent surgeries followed by months of rehabilitation.
In an August 2024 interview with Parents, he said Ava helped care for him during the first six months. He described their usual roles reversing as she took on new responsibilities.
Renner said their conversations had become more mature, although he struggled to find the energy for the physically playful parenting she had known when she was younger.
Ava accompanied him to the April 2023 Los Angeles premiere of Rennervations, his first major red carpet appearance after the accident. He was still using mobility aids during that stage of his recovery.
A School Pickup Became Ava’s Contribution to His Memoir
Renner’s memoir, My Next Breath, was published on April 29, 2025. Ava contributed an essay and narrated her section for the audiobook. Her piece began as a school assignment about a moment that made her proud. She chose the day her father picked her up from school during his recovery.
During a July 2025 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Renner told guest host Jelly Roll that getting into the car had taken about an hour and a half. He wanted his daughter to see that he was making progress.
He later told PEOPLE at an October 2025 charity gala that he had asked Ava’s permission to include the essay at the beginning of the book. Seeing her record it reminded him how far they had come together. Asked why he covers her face with an emoji in social posts, Renner explained, “I got to protect my girl.”