Courtesy of Rémy Martin
Jeremy Renner has been pretty busy in the last few years. He broke onto the scene with his Oscar nominated performance in The Hurt Locker (2008). He followed the success of that film with starring roles in The Town (2010), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), The Avengers (2012), The Bourne Legacy (2012) and American Hustle (2013). His newest role is as the face of Rémy Martin.
“It’s awesome to work with Rémy Martin and help individuals recognize and celebrate their many talents,” says Renner. He believes that every person has a responsibility to live their life to the best of their abilities. “I think to fully realize one’s potential you must take action, remain curious, embrace your failures as they are gifts, and honor your successes with humility.”
The House of Rémy Martin, founded in 1724, is one of the biggest names in spirits, let alone cognac. The reason the company has been able to produce such high quality spirits for the last three-hundred years is because the company is still owned by the same family who are extremely passionate about crafting amazing cognac. “I learned that Remy Martin uses only grapes from the two best growing areas in Cognac. They are committed to quality and craftsmanship and produce a cognac of depth and character.”
Rémy Martin, producers of “Fine Champagne Cognacs”, brands include: Rémy Martin V.S.O.P., Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal and Rémy Martin XO Excellence. “I’m passionate about brown spirits, including cognac and Rémy Martin,” says Renner. “But it was only this past year when working closely with the brand that I better understood the process and how Remy Martin cognacs are a blend of the finest grapes in the region.”
The new Rémy Martin campaign is designed to highlight multi-talented individuals. The tagline is “One Life/Live Them”. It’s a reference to the idea that contemporary consumers aren’t one-dimensional. Each person is unique and has his or her own skills and interests. The famed cognac brand partnered with Renner because he exemplifies their ideals of a multi-talented consumer because he’s an actor, musician, producer and home-renovator.
One of the most well-known, versatile actors working today, Renner caught the acting bug while a student at Modesto Junior College. He had been studying criminology and computer science before deciding to take a drama class. He fell in love with the art of acting and quickly realized that he wanted to be an actor for a living and moved to Los Angeles.
His early work included roles in National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995), Paper Dragons (1996) as well as his Independent Spirit Award nominated portrayal of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Dahmer (2002). He also appeared in S.W.A.T. alongside Colin Farrell (2003), Lords of Dogtown (2005), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) and 28 Weeks Later (2007).
In recent years, he returned to play the role of Hawkeye in The Avengers sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) as well as his role of William Brandt in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015).
He believes that people are often only accepted for just one talent and it makes it difficult for others to see them for all that they are. “For example, most people know me as actor, but I’m also a producer, musician, and I renovate homes.” Many of his songs appear in his movies including: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Love Comes to the Executioner and North Country. He and friend and business partner Kristoffer Ryan Winters own a house-renovation business together.
His work with Rémy Martin is a change of pace in his career. “I’ve never worked with a commercial brand before, but when Remy Martin presented the campaign idea, it resonated with me so personally,” says Renner. “It’s how I live my life and I wanted to show others that you don’t have to be defined by one talent or passion, but you can pursue many.”
It wasn’t difficult to decide to work with Rémy Martin because Renner was already a fan of the cognac. “I enjoy Rémy Martin and helped them create a signature cocktail – the Remy Renner. However, my favorite way to drink Rémy Martin 1738 is just neat.”
Courtesy of Rémy Martin
The Rémy Renner
- 1.5 oz. Rémy Martin 1738
- 1 oz. Crème de Cassis
- .75 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Renner believes that the worlds of spirits and movies intertwine seamlessly. “Both movies and Cognac offer a variety of emotions depending on the genre of film or with whom and where you are enjoying a cognac. They also both excite the senses.”
There are many differences between acting in a big budget film with multiple stars like The Avengers films as opposed to a smaller independent movie. “Every movie is different because of the nature of storytelling, the characters, etc,” says Renner. “The main difference in a big action movie and a smaller character driven story is basically the physical preparation for stunts required and the pace is much slower on a big movie.”
He says that he thoroughly enjoys being a part of the Marvel universe. “The young fans are definitely the highlight. I’m very excited to discover more on Clint (Hawkeye), his relationships, and the world that this lives in.”
Because of his versatility and talent, Renner is always being thought of for new, exciting parts. Because of this, he doesn’t have to sit around wondering what his next role will be. Story of Your Life with Amy Adams, and Captain America: Civil War both come out in 2016. The third and fourth Avengers movies will begin filming in late 2016. “I’m keeping my eye open for a movie before that but until then staying busy at home being a superhero to my daughter.”
