How Becoming a Father Changed Jeremy Renner's Career

Updated on March 20, 2023 at 3:30 PM

Jeremy Renner has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011. The star, who made his debut as Clint Barton/Hawkeye in "Thor," has appeared in a number of films throughout the franchise since then, including "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Endgame." A decade after joining the MCU, Renner even got his very own "Hawkeye" solo series, which premiered in November 2021. During the show, fans got to witness his character trying to balance his responsibilities as a member of the Avengers while also being a father to his three children.

In real life, Renner isn't all that different from Clint, because he's also pulling double duty as an actor while being a parent. If you follow Renner on Instagram, you know he has one child, a daughter named Ava Berlin Renner, whom he shares with ex-wife Sonni Pacheco. The "Mayor of Kingstown" star sometimes gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his life as a father by posting photos of him and Ava spending quality time together doing things like skiing, going to the zoo, and hanging around movie sets.

So what else do we know about Ava, and what has Renner said about juggling his career with his role as a father? Read all about it ahead.

Jeremy Renner's Daughter, Ava

Renner and Pacheco welcomed their first and only child together, Ava Berlin, on March 28, 2013. According to The Hollywood Reporter, their daughter was born weighing seven pounds. At the time, a rep for Renner told the publication that he and Pacheco were "beyond thrilled" about becoming parents.

On Ava's ninth birthday, the actor shared what went through his head when he saw Ava for the first time. "As you took your FIRST breath, gripping my finger tightly (palmers reflex), I instantly understood my directive in life as a father. That If I do right by you, we will be holding hands as I take my LAST breath 🙏❤️🙏," he wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of Ava as a baby.

While Renner has shared a few photos of his daughter online, he's always made sure to hide her face in order to protect her privacy. He opened up about his decision to keep Ava out of the spotlight in a December 2020 interview with E! News. "I still don't expose my baby's face, just to protect her, or anybody in my family's face [who's] a minor," he explained. "I just think that's not my decision to make. You don't need to be world famous because your jackass dad is."

In that same interview, Renner called fatherhood "the most important thing in my life." When asked if he sees Ava acting in the future, Renner said he'll support his daughter with whatever path she takes. "I think she's definitely artistic for sure. I'd love to steer her away from [show business] but I'll never say no," he said, adding that he just wants Ava to have a normal childhood and "have a lot of fun."

Renner also talked about juggling fatherhood with his career during an April 2015 appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." He said that when he's filming in another country, he makes sure to take regular flights back home to visit Ava. "[Fatherhood has] kind of screwed my career in a lot of ways," Renner said. "Because I don't really care about it so much 'cause I care about her so much. She's like number one in my life. And now I get to do movies on the side. Daddy's my best role to date, I think."

In recent years, Ava has even joined her dad at work. For example, in December 2021, Renner shared a photo of his daughter on the set of "Hawkeye." Ava could be seen sitting in the director's chair as she watched her father film.

Clearly, Renner always makes room in his schedule for daddy-daughter time.