Adam Driver

Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is a renowned American actor, noted for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers. Driver's film career fired up with his debut in J. Edgar (2011), followed by supporting roles in Lincoln (2012), Frances Ha (2012), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), and While We're Young (2014). His stand out performance was his portrayal of Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015–2019). Apart from film, he gained significant attention through his portrayal of Adam Sackler in the HBO series Girls (2012–2017), which bagged him three consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations. He made his Broadway debut in Mrs. Warren's Profession (2010) and has acted in Man and Boy (2011) and Burn This (2019), the latter earning him a Tony nomination. Driver has served in the U.S. Marine Corps and also founded the non-profit, Arts in the Armed Forces, providing arts programming to American active-duty service members, veterans, military support staff, and their families.

However, his journey to becoming a respected actor was not a straight path. After his parents' divorce, Driver moved with his mother to Indiana. Describing his teenage self as a misfit, he couldn't get into The Juilliard School immediately after high school due to poor grades. He then tried to start acting in Los Angeles but faced major obstacles, returning to Indiana just a week later. It was after the September 11 attacks that Driver enlisted in the Marines. Sadly, a bicycling accident caused his discharge. Subsequently, he revisited Juilliard, got enrolled, and graduated with a BFA in 2009. His classmates found him intimidating and volatile initially, a carryover from his time in the Marines. Post-graduation, Driver moved to New York City, where he performed in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. He continued to impress audiences with his performances in numerous films, television shows, and theatre productions.