Adam Driver

Adam Driver is an American actor whose career combines military service, stage training, television success, and major film roles. Born on November 19, 1983, in San Diego, California, he was raised in Mishawaka, Indiana. After the September 11 attacks, Driver enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served from 2001 to 2004 and was medically discharged after injuring his sternum while mountain biking. He later studied drama at Juilliard, graduating in 2009. Driver began appearing professionally on New York stages before gaining wider attention as Adam Sackler on HBO’s Girls. Created by and starring Lena Dunham, the series ran from 2012 to 2017. Driver’s volatile, emotionally complicated performance earned him three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. His theater work also continued; he appeared on Broadway in productions including Mrs. Warren’s Profession and Burn This. His film breakthrough came through distinctive collaborations with prominent directors. He played Sam in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Al Cody in the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, and a writer in Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha. In 2014, he was cast as Ben Solo, also known as Kylo Ren, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He reprised the role in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, portraying a conflicted heir to Darth Vader whose divided loyalties shape the sequel trilogy. Driver has repeatedly chosen demanding, unconventional characters. He played a Catholic Portuguese Jesuit in Martin Scorsese’s Silence, the title character in Baumbach’s quiet drama Paterson, and detective Philip “Flip” Zimmerman in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman. His performance in BlacKkKlansman brought him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In Marriage Story, he portrayed Charlie Barber, a theater director navigating divorce from Nicole, played by Scarlett Johansson; the role earned Driver a nomination for Best Actor. Later projects included Maurizio Gucci in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci and Enzo Ferrari in Michael Mann’s Ferrari. Driver also co-founded Arts in the Armed Forces, a nonprofit that presents professional theater to active-duty service members and their families. His career remains marked by contrasts: blockbuster recognition through Star Wars, rigorous independent films, and a continuing connection to live performance. Away from acting, he is married to fellow actor Joanne Tucker, with whom he has worked in theater and nonprofit arts initiatives.