With the combination of his talent and intriguing aura, it's hard not to be a little fascinated
by the force (sorry, we couldn't resist) that is Adam Driver.
Tall, charming, handsome, what's there not to like?
With his successes on the big and small screens in recent years, he's fast becoming one of
Hollywood's biggest stars.
But why Hollywood dubbed him as a weirdo and media as ugly-hot, and did it make him uncomfortable?
Why doesn't he like being famous?
And why is he so adamant about not watching his projects?
Adam Driver has been in New York since his early 20s, and part of his appeal as an actor
has to do with his background.
Growing up, his interest in acting came down to joining the school theater, and mostly
because he hung out with drama nerds, and it just looked fun.
Driver's love of cinema also translated into his desire to become an actor, but his career
started much later.
After a failed audition for Juilliard, Driver decided college wasn't for him and applied
nowhere else.
He also tried following the footsteps of all the actors who talked about moving to LA with
a few dollars, finding work, and making all the dreams come true.
Sadly for the future Hollywood star, things didn't go as planned.
His car broke down in Texas, and by the time he got to Santa Monica, not even LA, he was
out of money and had to go back home after two days.
"It was embarrassing.
I had said goodbye to friends and family, like, 'I'm out of this s**thole town!'"
Four days later, he was moving back in.
Can you believe a 17-year-old Driver had to pay $200 per month to live under his mom and
stepdad's roof?
And he wasn't even allowed to use the front entrance!
To sustain himself, the Star Wars actor worked three jobs, mowing lawns, selling vacuums,
telemarketing, apart from working at McDonald's.
It wasn't until 9/11 that he knew what he had to do.
Shortly after the attack, with a sense of patriotism and his stepfather's pestering,
the 18-year-old enlisted in the US Marine Corps.
To everyone's surprise, he loved it.
And the more he talks about it, the more he makes it sound like a combat version of Buddhism.
"There's something about having all of your identity and possessions stripped away.
It becomes evident, when you get your freedom back, that there's stuff you want to do."
Unfortunately for his military career and fortunately for us, Driver's got into a mountain
bike accident.
After almost three years of service as Lance Corporal, he was given an honorable discharge
on medical grounds.
It must've been devastating for Adam.
But the experience of having been in the military also made rehabilitation easier.
Nothing, he believed at the time, could be as hard again, and throughout the 2000s, the
actor was thriving in the theatre world.
At one point, he had significant roles in two plays at the same time.
Working his ass off, Driver found himself "making out with four people a day."
He would first kiss two ladies during rehearsals for one play.
Later that day, he would kiss his male co-star while practicing for another play.
According to Driver, he went through "a lot of mouthwash and toothpaste before [he] got
home" to his girlfriend (and now wife), Joanne Tucker.
The couple met when they were both students.
Isn't that sweet?
Yes, when he reapplied to Juilliard, he got in.
He also felt it was different.
"At 17, I just wanted to be liked, and to be funny, and accepted, later I had a bit
more life experience."
The future dark emo space prince packed his bags and moved to New York, where he was forced
to live in the closet of his stepmother's uncle.
Sounds a bit familiar, huh?
Harry Potter fans, are you there?
Ironically, he ended up working alongside Daniel Radcliffe on the film What If.
Going from the Marines to the prestigious acting school isn't easy, it turns out.
Driver's attitude was seen as exceedingly aggressive by his new classmates.
By the actor's admission, his intensity made a lot of people cry.
So, maybe there is some merit to him being intense and slightly weird?
Reportedly, Driver initially passed on the part because he “thought TV was evil.”
To be fair, there’s a reasonable argument on both sides of that statement.
Could it be that this kind of thinking attributed to him earning the title of a weirdo?
Perhaps it’s all about the roles he’s into?
Or maybe it’s because he refuses to see himself as a sex symbol, even though his appearance
in Girls has garnered a following who view him nothing short of.
According to the man himself, when he read the script that said “Handsome Carpenter,”
he thought someone else would surely get the part.
It was a strange thing, he says, to sign up for what felt like a relatively obscure show
— "Something that felt like it was made in the basement of a friend's house" — and
watch it rise while he and his friends rose with it.
On the other hand, the Force Awakens became the fastest film to take $1 billion at the
global box office.
But does he actually appreciate the attention?
Not really.
Driver insists that it's not why he became an actor, saying that there are great things
about being wealthy and famous — it frees you up to do other things.
But part of his job, quote, "is being anonymous".
The actor star thinks it's more important to observe than to be observed.
Ever since Adam Driver reached international attention, be it due to the series or the
movie hits he starred in, the world seems to have struggled with what to do with him.
Throughout his continuing rise, there's one thing that just doesn't sit right — media
calling him ugly.
Sure, they don't stop short of ugly.
They add that he's hot too.
The New York Times calls him 'ugly-handsome'.
A list on IMDb named him a 'Sexy Ugly' Celebrity.
Truth be told, he is slightly complicit in this.
He's called himself 'unconventional leading man.'
But that doesn't make it okay.
It can't be nice to hear or read, even if he has welcomed the joke.
His looks aren't that far from his views, though.
The actor strives to be a small part of the machine as it is where he has always felt
comfortable.
"It's not about me," he says.
The actor elaborated that he doesn’t like watching his projects because he can’t change
anything, and it kills him.
Driver once even walked out of the interview when the journalist decided to air a clip
of him singing in Marriage Story.
Silence star feels watching himself perform is painful.
But when it comes to Star Wars, Driver will suck it up and watch the trilogy.
That's because the storytelling is so visual, and he had no idea what's going on when they
were filming.
No matter how strange his views on things might be, many directors appreciate the actor
for all his sincerity and straightforwardness.
Particularly Noah Baumbach.
They have worked together for ten years, with Driver never turning down a challenge.
Even though he put everything the audience needed to see in the movie, people keep asking
him to open up and elaborate on the emotional role.
The actor is unwavering.
"What would I add that would make it better?"
Driver said.
"Nothing."
Is being a little closed off caused him trouble?
It might be so.
We'd be lying if we said that we don't want to know as much as we can about the movies
that make us feel all the feelings.
At the same time, we respect his process.
Could the fact that he’s not willing to talk about how he approached the role, how
he tapped into his emotions, contribute to Hollywood making him out to be a weirdo as
well?
Or is it because he's sort of a method actor?
Adam doesn't consider himself to be such, but reportedly, he would stay in character
throughout the shoot of The Force Awakens.
He would even keep his helmet on when the cameras weren't rolling — no word on whether
he would ever forget that he couldn't actually use the Force, though.
Is it because he feels uncomfortable around fans?
Well, that's not entirely his fault.
They tend to ask Driver for photos at some very inappropriate times, including the seconds
after a major car crash.
He ended up taking an extremely awkward photo with a coffee and a $100 bill in his hand
as the paramedics rushed by him in the background.
Adam also noted that he gets approached by many kids every day, and he enjoys interacting
with them very much.
"They're always like, 'Good morning Kylo Ren,'" Driver said.
"I'm like, 'Morning.
Kylo needs his coffee if you just give me a second.'"
No, that can't be it.
So, maybe it's just what Hollywood and the media do with people who are different?
Certainly not the first time a great actor who enjoys working with all kinds of films
has come under fire.
Someone who doesn't shy away from leaving the interview if he feels disrespected; who
respects fans no matter how awkward the moments they come up to him might be.
Someone who doesn't date around and doesn't have broad romantic escapades; who can pick
himself up from whatever and make a life for himself and his family and at the same time
grace us with his presence on screen and stage.
Now, what do you think?
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