Adam Driver | |
|---|---|
 Driver at theNew York Film Festival 2025 | |
| Born | Adam Douglas Driver (1983-11-19)November 19, 1983 (age 42) Fontana, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, 1st Marines |
Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. His breakout performance as an emotionally unstable actor in theHBO television seriesGirls (2012–2017) earned him three consecutivePrimetime Emmy nominations. Driver made his film debut inJ. Edgar (2011), and played supporting roles inLincoln (2012),Frances Ha (2012),Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), andWhile We're Young (2014), before gaining wider recognition for his portrayal ofKylo Ren in theStar Warssequel trilogy (2015–2019).
He won theVolpi Cup for Best Actor for a leading role inHungry Hearts (2014) and received consecutiveAcademy Award nominations forBest Supporting Actor for playing aJewish police officer infiltrating theKKK inBlacKkKlansman (2018) andBest Actor for his role as a theater director going through a divorce inMarriage Story (2019).[1] Driver garnered further acclaim for portraying the titular character inPaterson (2016), Father Francisco Garupe inSilence (2016),Jacques le Gris inThe Last Duel (2021), andEnzo Ferrari inFerrari (2023).[2] He has also acted in films such asLogan Lucky (2017),The Report (2019),Annette (2021),House of Gucci (2021), andMegalopolis (2024).
On stage, Driver made hisBroadway debut inMrs. Warren's Profession (2010) and subsequently acted inMan and Boy (2011) andBurn This (2019), the latter of which earned him a nomination for theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Driver is a veteran of theU.S. Marine Corps.[3][4] He also was the founder ofArts in the Armed Forces, a non-profit that provided free arts programming to American active-duty service members, veterans, military support staff, and their families worldwide.[5]
Driver was born inFontana, California, on November 19, 1983.[6][7] He is the son of Nancy Wright (née Needham), aparalegal, and Joe Douglas Driver.[8][9] His father's family is fromArkansas, and his mother's family is fromIndiana. His family moved toSan Diego, where Driver spent time with them until he was seven years old.[10][11] After his parents were divorced, Driver and his mother moved toMishawaka, Indiana, where he was primarily raised by his stepfather, Rodney G. Wright, a Baptist minister.[12][13] Driver graduated fromMishawaka High School in 2001, while spending time with his older sister and mother at their hometown.[14][15] Driver was raisedBaptist, and sang in the choir at church.[16]
Driver has described his teenage self as a "misfit"; he toldM Magazine that he climbed radio towers, set objects on fire, and co-founded a fight club with friends, inspired by the 1999 filmFight Club.[17] Throughout high school, he was active in choir and theater, participating in school productions ofHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,Into the Woods, andGuys and Dolls.[18] He applied toJuilliard School for drama knowing that they would not look at his grades from high school, but was not accepted.[19] After high school, he worked as a door-to-door salesman sellingKirby vacuum cleaners and as a telemarketer for a basementwaterproofing company and Ben Franklin Construction.[20]
When Driver was eighteen, he attempted to start his acting career inLos Angeles, leaving Indiana by car and breaking down inAmarillo, Texas. He spent his money repairing his car only to make it toSanta Monica, California, where he lived in a hostel for two days and was scammed by a real estate agent he paid to find him an apartment. He realized he did not have enough money to live, returning to Indiana after only a week away from home.[21]
Shortly after theSeptember 11 attacks, Driver enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.[6] He was assigned to Weapons Company,1st Battalion, 1st Marines as an81mm mortar man.[22] He served for two years and eight months, before fracturing hissternum while riding his mountain bike.[23]
Subsequently, Driver attended theUniversity of Indianapolis for a year before auditioning again for Juilliard, this time succeeding. He got the news he was accepted while at work at the Target Distribution Center in Indianapolis. Driver has said that his classmates saw him as an intimidating and volatile figure, and he struggled to fit into a lifestyle so different from the Marines.[17] He was a member of the Drama Division'sGroup 38 from 2005 to 2009, where he met his future wife, Joanne Tucker. He graduated with aBachelor of Fine Arts in 2009.[24]
After graduating from Juilliard, Driver appeared in bothBroadway andoff-Broadway productions. Like many aspiring actors, he occasionally worked as a busboy and waiter.[25] Driver appeared in several television series and short films. He played a repentant witness and reluctant accomplice to an unsolved assault in the final episode of the television seriesThe Unusuals. He made his film debut inClint Eastwood's biographical filmJ. Edgar.
In 2012, Driver starred in theHBO comedy-drama seriesGirls, as the emotionally unstable boyfriend of a writer (Lena Dunham). He received three nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role.[26] Driver played telegraph and cipher officerSamuel Beckwith inSteven Spielberg's historical dramaLincoln, and Lev Shapiro inNoah Baumbach's comedy-dramaFrances Ha.[27] He starred in the dramaNot Waving But Drowning and the romantic-comedyGayby. He garnered major off-Broadway recognition for playing Cliff, a working-class Welsh houseguest inLook Back in Anger, and won theLucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play.[28]
In 2013, Driver appeared in the dramaBluebird and the romantic-comedyWhat If. He played a musician in theCoen Brothers' black comedyInside Llewyn Davis, and photographerRick Smolan in the dramaTracks. In 2014, he played a despairing father in the dramaHungry Hearts, an aspiring filmmaker in Noah Baumbach's comedyWhile We're Young, and the black sheep of a dysfunctional Jewish family in the comedy-dramaThis Is Where I Leave You. For his performance inHungry Hearts, Driver won theVolpi Cup for Best Actor at the71st Venice International Film Festival.[29] ForVogue's September 2013 issue, Driver appeared alongside Canadian modelDaria Werbowy set in Ireland, photographed byAnnie Leibovitz.[30]
In early 2014, Driver was cast as villainKylo Ren inStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).[31][32] It was released on December 18, 2015, to commercial and critical success.[33] He reprised the role inThe Last Jedi (2017)[34] andThe Rise of Skywalker (2019).[35] His performance was positively received;David Edelstein ofVulture wrote, "the core ofThe Last Jedi — of this whole trilogy, it seems — is Driver's Kylo Ren, who ranks with cinema's most fascinating human monsters."[36]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian highlighted Driver's performance in his review ofThe Force Awakens, calling him "gorgeously cruel, spiteful and capricious... very suited to Kylo Ren's fastidious and amused contempt for his enemies' weakness and compassion."[37] After the trilogies' conclusion, Driver sought to continue portraying the character in a spin off film titledThe Hunt For Ben Solo, with a screenplay bySteven Soderbergh but Disney Studios rejected the script.[38]
Driver had a supporting role inJeff Nichols' science fiction filmMidnight Special, which was released on March 18, 2016.[39][40] He played a 17th-century Portuguese Jesuit priest inMartin Scorsese's historical filmSilence (2016).[41] While filming, Driver lost almost 50 pounds.[42] InJim Jarmusch's drama filmPaterson, Driver played the eponymous bus driver and poetry writer.[43] It premiered at the69th Cannes Film Festival and was released on December 28, 2016.[44][45] Driver's performance was acclaimed[46][47] and he received multiple nominations for Best Actor from critics' associations, winning several, including theLos Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor.[48]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone wrote "Driver's indelibly moving portrayal is so lived-in and lyrical you hardly recognize it as acting."[49]Paterson was included in many critics' top ten lists of best films of 2016.[50]
In 2017, Driver made a cameo in Noah Baumbach'sThe Meyerowitz Stories, making his third appearance in one of their films. It premiered at the70th Cannes Film Festival and was released on October 13, 2017.[51] He played Clyde, a one-armedIraq War veteran, inSteven Soderbergh'sLogan Lucky, which was released on August 18, 2017.[52] Driver played a Jewish police detective, who infiltrates theKu Klux Klan inSpike Lee's comedy-dramaBlacKkKlansman. It premiered at71st Cannes Film Festival and was released on August 10, 2018.[53] He received critical acclaim for his performance in the film and was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor and theGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Driver played Toby Grummett inTerry Gilliam's adventure-comedy filmThe Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), which also premiered at Cannes.[54]
In 2019, Driver playedDaniel J. Jones inScott Z. Burns' political dramaThe Report, which premiered at theSundance Film Festival in Utah. That same year, Driver returned to Broadway to play Pale againstKeri Russell in Michael Mayer's directed 2019 production of Lanford Wilson'sBurn This, receiving acclaim for his explosive performance and a nomination for theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[55] He was part of the ensemble cast forJim Jarmusch's zombie filmThe Dead Don't Die, which premiered at the72nd Cannes Film Festival and was released on June 14, 2019. That same year, Driver starred oppositeScarlett Johansson in Noah Baumbach'sMarriage Story, which premiered at the76th Venice International Film Festival.[56][57] Reviewing the film inThe Hollywood Reporter, critic Jon Frosch noted that Driver "delivers a brilliantly inhabited and shaded portrait" of a man undergoing a divorce.[58] For his performance, he received nominations for theAcademy Award for Best Actor,BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.[59]
On January 25, 2020, Driver returned to hostSaturday Night Live for the third time with musical guestHalsey. In 2020, Driver became the subject of arunning gag onLast Week Tonight with John Oliver, in which Oliver expressed several strange masochistic fantasies about Driver, referencing his muscular build and masculine appearance. Driver eventually appeared on the final episode of the season and "demanded an apology".[60] In 2021, he went viral for his shirtless appearance in the advertising campaign forBurberry's masculine fragrance Hero.[61] Driver again returned for the advertising campaign for theeau de parfum concentration of Hero in 2022.[62][63]
In 2021, Driver starred inLeos Carax's musical filmAnnette, which premiered at the74th Cannes Film Festival.[64][65][66] He had a leading role inRidley Scott's historical dramaThe Last Duel, along with the biopic crime filmHouse of Gucci, which covers the assassination ofMaurizio Gucci, and was also directed by Scott.[67] Equally praised by critics and directors,[68] Driver's acting has a unique signature style that displays skittish, unpredictable physicality with full-bodied enthusiasm like Denis Lavant and Buster Keaton.[69][70]
In 2022, Driver starred in the apocalyptic black comedy filmWhite Noise, which marks his fifth collaboration with Baumbach.[71] Driver starred in the science fiction film65 and is scheduled to star in Jeff Nichols' historical filmYankee Commandante.[72] Driver playedEnzo Ferrari inMichael Mann's biopic filmFerrari.[73] In May 2023, it was announced that Driver would be an honorary starter for the 107th running of theIndianapolis 500 auto race.[74] On December 9, 2023, Driver hostedSaturday Night Live for the fourth time with musical guestOlivia Rodrigo.[75]
Driver starred inFrancis Ford Coppola's allegorical epicMegalopolis (2024).[76] The film premiered at theCannes Film Festival where it competed for thePalme d'Or and polarized critics.[77] In 2024, it was announced that Driver would return to theoff Broadway stage playing fictional country music star Strings McCrane in theKenneth Lonergan playHold On to Me Darling at theLucille Lortel Theater with performances starting in September.[78] Driver's performance received critical acclaim with Robert Hoffer forThe Wrap, considering McCrane to be the best role for Driver.[79]
In June 2024, he was cast inTerry Gilliam's comedy filmCarnival: At the End of Days.[80]
Driver married his long-time girlfriend Joanne Tucker in June 2013, whom he met while attending Juilliard.[81] Tucker is the granddaughter of Bermudian politicianHenry Tucker.[82] The couple have a son, born in 2016, whose birth they kept private from the press for two years. Tucker gave birth to a second child, a girl, in early 2023.[83] They live inBrooklyn Heights with their children and dog.[84] Driver is the founder ofArts in the Armed Forces (AITAF), a nonprofit that performs theater for all branches of the military in the United States and abroad.[85][86]
Driver has said on multiple occasions that he dislikes watching or listening to his own performances, and chose not to continue with a radio interview withNPR'sFresh Air after the host played a clip fromMarriage Story.[87] He has said that his usual technique is to leave the theater and "then I go back and, when the lights come up, I stand up. I pretend that I was there the whole time."[88]
| † | Denotes productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Wonderful Maladys | Zed | Unaired pilot | |
| The Unusuals | Will Slansky | Episode: "The E.I.D." | ||
| 2010 | Law & Order | Robby Vickery | Episode: "Brilliant Disguise" | |
| You Don't Know Jack | Glen Stetson | Television film | ||
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jason Roberts | Episode: "Theatre Tricks" | |
| 2012–2017 | Girls | Adam Sackler | 49 episodes | |
| 2015 | The Simpsons | Adam Sackler (voice) | Episode: "Every Man's Dream" | |
| 2016–2023 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Host; 4 episodes | |
| 2017 | Bob's Burgers | Art the Artist (voice) | Two-part episode: "The Bleakening" | |
| 2018 | Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People | Narrator (voice) | Television documentary | |
| 2020 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Himself | 1 Episode |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Production type | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Slipping | Chris | Rattlestick Playwrights Theater | Off-Broadway | |
| The Retributionists | Dov Kaplinsky | Playwrights Horizons | |||
| 2010 | Little Doc | Ric | Rattlestick Playwrights Theater | ||
| The Forest | Bulanov | East 13th Street Theater | |||
| Mrs. Warren's Profession | Frank Gardner | American Airlines Theatre | Broadway | ||
| 2010–2011 | Angels in America | Louis Ironson | Signature Theatre Company | Off-Broadway | |
| 2011 | Man and Boy | Basil Anthony | American Airlines Theatre | Broadway | |
| 2012 | Look Back in Anger | Cliff Lewis | Roundabout Theatre Company | Off-Broadway | |
| 2019 | Burn This | Pale | Hudson Theatre | Broadway | |
| 2024 | Hold On to Me Darling | Strings McCrane | Lucille Lortel Theatre | Off-Broadway |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | Kylo Ren | |
| 2016 | Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance | Kylo Ren | Disneyland /Disney's Hollywood Studios |
For his work on television, Driver has received fourPrimetime Emmy Award nominations. He received three nominations for his performance inGirls, from2013,2014 and2015, in theOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. In2020, he also received a nomination forOutstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his guest hosting role onSaturday Night Live. For his work in films, he has been nominated twice for anAcademy Award, for his performances inBlacKkKlansman (2018) andMarriage Story (2019). He also receivedBritish Academy Film Award,Golden Globe Award, andScreen Actors Guild Award (SAG) nominations for those films. He also received a SAG Award nomination forOutstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture as a part of the ensemble ofSteven Spielberg'sLincoln. In 2019, he received aTony Award nomination forBest Actor in a Play for his performance inBurn This at the73rd Tony Awards.
