You know Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in Avengers, Aaron Cross in the Bourne movies, and William Brandt in recent Mission: Impossible films. The man behind these characters is an actor, house flipper, and interior designer who started from nothing and made it to the top. In a new interview with The Guardian, Renner dished on the qualities that separate him from other Hollywood stars and shared valuable lessons for fellow actors.

1. Use the stage to manage your emotions.

Renner first discovered acting while trying new methods to manage his emotions. As the oldest of five siblings, he was expected to follow in his father’s lead as man of the house, and showing signs of sadness or defeat wasn’t allowed. As we mentioned in 5 Career Killers Struggling Actors Should Avoid, negative emotions are also not appropriate on set, so this lesson applies to all actors.

“The stage was a safe place for me as a man with a lot of feelings inside which I had not exposed before… I held everything in,” Renner said. “Playing characters gave me the freedom to have all those feelings, that rage or sadness, in a safe way.”

2. If you need to complain, do it — just don’t step on anyone’s toes.

Renner admits that he was left wanting more from his character in the first Avengers movie, in which Hawkeye is brainwashed by the enemy for over an hour of the film. He eventually told writer and director Joss Whedon that he was disappointed with not having a chance to really become the character. The ability to vent your frustrations on set at the right time — when no one will be hurt by your complaints — is a valuable tool and a much better option than letting anger build up.

“It was frustrating. I don’t even know at that point how the guy walks and talks, ‘cos he got turned in this other dude. Joss was really apologetic. He had an impossible task trying to fit all those characters into one movie,” Renner said.

3. There’s no room for drama or passive aggressive behavior on a set.

When co-stars collide, the work environment can feel tense and unwelcome. The best decision is to lay everything out on the table and talk through problems until everyone reaches an understanding and can work together without emotional distractions. While this shouldn’t be any sole cast member’s responsibility, someone has to volunteer to lead the team when relationships start to interfere with good work.

“I command excellence from everybody around me. If you’re passive, nothing improves. It’s the squeaky wheel thing. If you don’t talk about something, nothing changes, nothing gets done,” he said.

4. You may be offered a role that’s a better opportunity than you’ve had before, but that doesn’t mean you should take it.

Before his success as an actor, Jeremy Renner turned down the chance to be in a 90’s boy band. He never regretted the decision and to this day won’t reveal which band the offer was for. Had he been in the band, he would’ve missed his chance to become the great example of a successful actor that he is today. The moral of the story is: if it doesn’t feel right or if it’s not what you’re interested in doing, don’t be afraid to say no.

Jeremy Renner’s attitude on set may not be right for you, but his confidence is inspiring! Are there any questions you’ve been asking yourself about your acting career so far? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll do our best to help in a future post.