If you knew who Adam Driver was before Star Wars: The Force Awakens, then chances are it was from the actor’s work in TV comedy Girls or acclaimed indie releases like Frances Ha. A leading role in a major franchise production, however, was largely unprecedented territory for the Paterson star’s career, and once the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy was set in motion, Driver saw his profile blow up to an extent that he wasn’t expecting.
In an interview with Vulture, the actor now best known for playing Kylo Ren claimed that he was surprised by how recognizable he was after appearing in J.J. Abrams’ 2015 flick:
“I was aware that more people would see it than see most things I do, but I don’t think I could have anticipated how often I’d get recognized because it’s so different for every person. I’m very tall and I look a certain way. I can’t blend into a crowd.”
To some extent, you have to wonder whether Driver is simply being modest in his answer, seeing how huge a property Star Wars was and continues to be. John Boyega, by contrast, recently recalled how the news of being cast in The Force Awakens left him in shock for days as it dawned on him just how much his life was going to change from this point on.
In any case, just as Driver seems to wish he could keep a lower profile in public, he’s also apparently honoring the privacy of his onscreen alter ego, refusing to divulge any details when Vulture asked him what he found interesting about Kylo:
“That’s hard to say because we’re working toward something in particular with that character. I don’t want to give anything away.”
In this same interview, however, one thing that the actor did give away is that he sometimes struggles to get into the serious mind-frame that his character demands when there’s so much comedy unfolding behind-the-scenes. Indeed, his co-star Oscar Isaac recently claimed that the atmosphere on set for Star Wars: Episode IX is significantly more laid back than in previous films, suggesting that Abrams is now feeling more confident after his experience on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
We’ll find out if the next movie is as much fun for the audience as it allegedly is for the cast when Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.
