Adam Driver: An Actor Biography and his Best Film Performances
Adam Driver speaks onstage at the 35th Santa Barbara Film Festival’s Outstanding Performers of the Year Award for A Marriage Story. Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer on Gettyimages
Adam Douglas Driver was born on November 19, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. He’s an American actor with Dutch, English, German, Irish and Scottish ancestry.
After graduating from Juilliard, Driver began his career in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. And it was in 2009 that he starred in his first television debut during the final episode of 'The Unusuals', as well as making his feature film debut in Clint Eastwood's biographical drama 'J. Edgar'.
Since then he continued taking on roles in films such as Lincoln, Frances Ha, Gayby, Not Waving but Drowning, What If and Hungry Hearts.
His career reached its peak in early 2014 when he was cast as the villain Kylo Ren of the recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He reprised the role in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, obtaining positive reviews for his performance.
Adam Driver on the Red Carpet of Disney’s Premier of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Credit: Rich Fury Gettyimages
Driver undoubtedly took off as an actor, with his performance skills earning him several incredible honours and awards such as Best Actor, Actor of the Year, and even Actor of the Decade in 2020. It’s these feats which have established him as one of the most fascinating performers in Hollywood. It appears that regardless of the genre or tone, he invariably manages to bring true feelings to each role he takes and occupies each character he creates in their entirety.
As illustrated by the feeds and trending pages of several social media outlets and articles, the following are consistently brought up as five of Adam Driver’s best performances on sites such as Reddit:
5- House of Gucci
Adam Driver portrays Maurizio, a descendant of the Gucci family, who quickly establishes an acrimonious relationship with Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga).
In his portrayal, Driver manages to illustrate how human greed and selfishness are critical components of what drives his character’s development. The longer the story unfolds, the more transparent this becomes. It is Driver’s attitude towards the character that elevates the film’s quality to such heights; Driver acts as a counterbalance to the mayhem and craziness, luring you further into the plot.
4- Star Wars
Driver becomes the spiteful villain Kylo Ren, grandson of the notorious Darth Vader.
Director J.J Abrams was so impressed with Driver’s previous work that he wasn’t even required to audition; a decision that only comes when a director knows that a specific actor is perfect for a very specific role. Driver’s complete commitment to Kylo Ren made the trilogy stronger as a whole.
This villain was so well played that critics and fans called Kylo Ren “the best villain the franchise has ever produced.”
3- The Dead Don’t Die
In this film he portrays Ronald Peterson, a policeman who unexpectedly becomes involved in a zombie apocalypse.
He battles the undead who begin invading the ordinary and peaceful village of Centerville, cracking jokes the whole way. As always, Driver's approach to the material is somewhat charismatic and makes for a very interesting watch.
2- Marriage Story
Marriage Story beautifully conveys the pain that frequently results from a relationship that is slowly deteriorating.
Adam Driver portrays Charlie, a temperamental theatre director who is soon to be the ex-husband of actress Nicole (Scarlett Johansson). After drifting apart for many years, the whole story follows the couple going through divorce procedures, all the while their young son Henry is wedged in the middle of the fallout.
Both Driver and Johansson deliver emotionally charged performances, including one of the most powerful scenes in recent cinema.
1- Paterson
Driver is Paterson, a man who doubles as a poet and bus driver, leading a meticulously ordinary lifestyle. A simple romantic drama where Driver brings to life a man who is perfectly content.
Driving a bus, writing poetry throughout his lunch hour, and enjoying a loving relationship with his wife--even though Driver's character is indeed that of a simple, humble existence, this is largely viewed as one of his best, most grounded performances to date.