Between starring in “Annette,” “The Last Duel,” and “House of Gucci,” Adam Driver is having a busy year, to say the least. The former U.S. marine got his start as an actor in the early 2010s with small but memorable roles in indie films like “Frances Ha” and “Inside Llewyn Davis,” as well as big-ticket political pics “J. Edgar” and “Lincoln.”
In 2012, Driver’s career began to gather speed with his recurring role in Lena Dunham’s coming-of-age comedy series “Girls.” His dramatic breakout would come a few years later, as Kylo Ren in the first of three “Star Wars” films. Since then, he’s kept his foot on the pedal, taking on a versatile range of roles and projects of every size.
So far, Driver has racked up two Oscar nominations and a handful of Emmy nods, and shows no sign of slowing down. Let’s take a look at some of his most notable performances so far.
“Marriage Story” (2019)
Driver’s heartbreaking turn as Charlie, a theater director in the midst of divorcing his actress wife (Scarlett Johansson), earned him his first Oscar nomination for lead actor. His performance, which pivots often from rage to sorrow and egomania to paternal tenderness, is something to behold. For a good cry, look up the scene where he performs a cover of Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive.”
“Girls” (2012-2017)
A litmus test for a great performance is whether or not you can imagine anyone else playing the part. Driver’s performance as Adam Sackler – the enigmatic, mildly sociopathic on-and-off again boyfriend of Hannah Horvath (Lena Dunham) in “Girls” – is truly one of a kind. Over the course of six seasons, Adam grew from a woodworking man-baby to an emotionally mature thespian, an arc that earned him three consecutive Emmy nominations.
“BlacKkKlansman” (2018)
In Spike Lee’s biographical dark comedy, Driver played Flip Zimmerman, a Jewish cop who helps his coworker, a Black cop named Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), infiltrate a local Ku Klux Klan chapter. In the film, Driver navigates between Zimmerman and his white supremacist alter ego “Ron Stallworth” with ease. He earned his first Oscar nomination for his supporting role.
“The Last Jedi” (2017)
The “Star Wars” franchise found itself a thrilling new antagonist in dark warrior Kylo Ren, but Driver reveled in the character’s emotional complexity in 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” solidifying his place as one of the most interesting “Star Wars” characters in history (that “Rise of Skywalker” ending notwithstanding).
“Paterson” (2016)
In between the first of his two “Star Wars” movies, Driver somehow found the time to appear in a string of indie films, including Jim Jarmusch’s “Paterson.” An observation of life in Paterson, New Jersey, the film stars Driver as a bus driver and poet, also named Paterson. His understated performance anchors his relationship with his wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) and highlights the film’s theme of finding beauty in the small things.
