Adam Driver, born Adam Douglas Driver on November 19, 1983, is an American actor known for his performances in film, television, and theater. He gained international recognition for portraying Kylo Ren, also known as Ben Solo, in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, beginning with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). His other roles include Adam Sackler in the HBO series Girls (2012–2017), Flip Zimmerman in BlacKkKlansman (2018), and Charlie Barber in Marriage Story (2019). His performances in the latter two films earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor, respectively. A former United States Marine, Driver has also worked extensively in theater and co-founded the nonprofit organization Arts in the Armed Forces with his wife, actress Joanne Tucker.

Early Life and Family Background

Adam Driver, whose full name is Adam Douglas Driver, was born on November 19, 1983, in Fontana, California, United States. His mother is Nancy Wright, and his father is Joe Douglas Driver.

Following his parents' divorce, Driver moved with his mother to Mishawaka, Indiana. He was raised in a religious household with his stepfather, Rodney G. Wright, a Baptist minister. During his childhood, he participated in church activities and sang in the church choir.

He attended Mishawaka High School, where he became involved in theatrical productions and developed an interest in acting. He graduated in 2001.

Driver has described his adolescence in Indiana as a period when he and his friends experimented with amateur filmmaking and performances. His interest in acting continued after high school, although he initially pursued a different career path.

Military Service in the United States Marine Corps

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Adam Driver enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served as a mortarman with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, based at Camp Pendleton in California.

Driver spent approximately two years and eight months in the Marine Corps. He completed military training and participated in preparations for deployment, but his service ended before he was sent to a combat zone.

While mountain biking, he suffered an injury to his sternum. The injury prevented him from meeting the physical requirements for deployment, and he was medically discharged with the rank of lance corporal.

Driver has discussed the discipline and group responsibilities associated with his military service in interviews. His experience in the Marine Corps later informed his involvement in programs intended to provide theater and artistic performances for military personnel.

Education at the Juilliard School

After leaving the military, Adam Driver attended the University of Indianapolis for approximately one year. He subsequently auditioned for and was accepted into the Drama Division of the Juilliard School in New York City.

At Juilliard, Driver studied acting, movement, voice, dramatic literature, and stage performance. He participated in theatrical productions as part of the institution's professional training program.

He graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama. Following graduation, he began seeking professional theater roles in New York while also auditioning for television and film productions.

Early Acting Career and Broadway Performances

Adam Driver began his professional acting career through theater productions and supporting roles in television and film. He appeared in the 2010 Broadway revival of Mrs. Warren's Profession, the play by George Bernard Shaw, alongside Cherry Jones.

In 2011, he returned to Broadway in Man and Boy, a play by Terence Rattigan, appearing alongside Frank Langella.

His early television credits included appearances in Law & Order and the HBO television film You Don't Know Jack (2010), starring Al Pacino as physician Jack Kevorkian.

In 2011, Driver appeared in J. Edgar, the biographical drama directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Driver portrayed Walter Lyle, marking one of his early feature-film appearances.

His theater experience continued alongside his developing screen career, and he subsequently returned to Broadway for a leading role in 2019.

Breakthrough with Girls (2012–2017)

In 2012, Adam Driver joined the cast of Girls, an HBO comedy-drama television series created by Lena Dunham. The series followed a group of young adults navigating employment, relationships, and personal responsibilities in New York City.

Driver portrayed Adam Sackler, an aspiring actor who develops a relationship with Hannah Horvath, played by Lena Dunham. His character became part of several storylines involving romantic relationships, creative ambitions, and conflicts among the principal characters.

The cast also included Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, and Alex Karpovsky.

Driver appeared throughout the show's six-season run, from 2012 to 2017. His portrayal of Adam Sackler earned him three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

His work on Girls coincided with a growing number of film opportunities, allowing him to continue working in independent cinema and larger productions.

Independent Films and Early Critical Recognition

During the early 2010s, Adam Driver appeared in films directed by several American filmmakers. In 2012, he portrayed Samuel Beckwith in Lincoln, the historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln.

That same year, he appeared as Lev Shapiro in Frances Ha, directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Greta Gerwig. The film follows a young dancer attempting to establish her personal and professional life in New York.

In 2013, Driver portrayed Al Cody in Inside Llewyn Davis, the musical drama written and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The cast included Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and John Goodman.

He also appeared as Rick Smolan in Tracks (2013), opposite Mia Wasikowska, and played Allan in the romantic comedy What If (2013), starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan.

In 2014, Driver portrayed Jude in Hungry Hearts, directed by Saverio Costanzo. The film follows a couple whose relationship becomes increasingly strained following the birth of their child.

His performance earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival. His co-star Alba Rohrwacher received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for the same film.

Other films released in 2014 included While We're Young, directed by Noah Baumbach, and This Is Where I Leave You, in which Driver played Phillip Altman alongside Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, and Jane Fonda.

Star Wars and the Role of Kylo Ren

In 2015, Adam Driver portrayed Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J. J. Abrams. The film introduced a new generation of characters within the Star Wars franchise and continued the story established in the original trilogy.

Kylo Ren is the identity adopted by Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, portrayed by Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Ben Solo was trained as a Jedi before turning to the dark side and becoming associated with the First Order.

Driver appeared alongside Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, and Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron. The story placed Kylo Ren in conflict with members of the Resistance and with his own family history.

He reprised the role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), directed by Rian Johnson. The film examined the relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey, as well as his struggle with the legacy of his parents and former Jedi training.

Driver returned for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), again directed by J. J. Abrams. The film concluded Ben Solo's storyline within the sequel trilogy.

The three films were released between 2015 and 2019 and introduced Driver to a worldwide audience through one of cinema's largest science fiction franchises.

Paterson, Silence and Logan Lucky

While appearing in the Star Wars films, Adam Driver continued working in independent and director-led productions.

In 2016, he starred in Paterson, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Driver portrayed a bus driver and poet named Paterson who lives in Paterson, New Jersey, with his wife Laura, played by Golshifteh Farahani.

The film follows the character's daily routines, his relationship with his wife, and his efforts to write poetry. Driver's performance was built around a restrained portrayal of an ordinary working life.

That same year, he portrayed Francisco Garupe, a Portuguese Jesuit priest, in Silence, directed by Martin Scorsese. The historical drama follows missionaries traveling to seventeenth-century Japan during the persecution of Christians. The cast included Andrew Garfield and Liam Neeson.

In preparation for the role, Driver underwent substantial physical weight loss, as did other cast members portraying the missionaries.

In 2017, he appeared as Clyde Logan in Logan Lucky, a crime comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film starred Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig, and Riley Keough and centered on a robbery planned during a NASCAR race.

Driver also appeared in The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017), directed by Noah Baumbach, playing Randy.

BlacKkKlansman and First Academy Award Nomination

In 2018, Adam Driver played Flip Zimmerman in BlacKkKlansman, a crime drama directed by Spike Lee. The film was based on the experiences of Ron Stallworth, an African American police detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan during the 1970s.

Driver's character, a Jewish police detective, assists Stallworth, played by John David Washington, by impersonating him during in-person meetings with members of the organization.

The film also featured Topher Grace as David Duke, the former national director of the Ku Klux Klan.

For his performance, Driver received his first Academy Award nomination, in the Best Supporting Actor category at the 2019 ceremony. The film received several other Oscar nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay.

He also appeared in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), directed by Terry Gilliam, playing Toby Grisoni opposite Jonathan Pryce.

Marriage Story and Second Academy Award Nomination

In 2019, Adam Driver starred opposite Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story, written and directed by Noah Baumbach.

Driver portrayed Charlie Barber, a New York-based theater director whose marriage to actress Nicole Barber, played by Johansson, deteriorates as the couple navigates separation, divorce proceedings, and custody arrangements involving their son.

The film also featured Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta.

Driver's performance earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 2020 ceremony. The nomination followed his Best Supporting Actor nomination for BlacKkKlansman the previous year.

He also received nominations for the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in Marriage Story.

Other films released in 2019 included The Report, in which he portrayed Senate investigator Daniel Jones, and The Dead Don't Die, a zombie comedy directed by Jim Jarmusch in which he played police officer Ronnie Peterson.

Broadway Return and Tony Award Nomination

In 2019, Adam Driver returned to Broadway in a revival of Burn This, written by Lanford Wilson. He portrayed Pale, a volatile restaurant manager, opposite Keri Russell.

The production explored relationships among artists and friends in New York following the death of a young dancer.

Driver received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play at the 2019 ceremony.

Annette, The Last Duel and House of Gucci

In 2021, Adam Driver starred in three feature films representing different genres.

He portrayed Henry McHenry, a stand-up comedian, in Annette, a musical drama directed by Leos Carax. The film also starred Marion Cotillard as opera singer Ann Defrasnoux. Its music and screenplay were developed with Ron Mael and Russell Mael of the band Sparks.

In The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott, Driver portrayed Jacques Le Gris, a fourteenth-century French squire accused of rape by Marguerite de Carrouges, played by Jodie Comer. The film also starred Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and examined the disputed events through multiple perspectives.

That same year, Driver portrayed Maurizio Gucci in House of Gucci, another film directed by Ridley Scott. The biographical crime drama followed the relationships and internal conflicts of the Gucci family, including Maurizio's marriage to Patrizia Reggiani, played by Lady Gaga.

The cast also included Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, and Salma Hayek.

White Noise, 65 and Ferrari

In 2022, Adam Driver reunited with director Noah Baumbach for White Noise, an adaptation of the novel by Don DeLillo.

Driver portrayed Jack Gladney, a college professor specializing in Adolf Hitler studies whose family experiences a major environmental emergency known as the Airborne Toxic Event. The film also starred Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle, and Raffey Cassidy.

In 2023, he appeared as Mills in 65, a science fiction thriller written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. His character is a pilot who crashes on prehistoric Earth and must survive an environment populated by dinosaurs.

Later in 2023, Driver portrayed Italian automobile manufacturer and racing team founder Enzo Ferrari in Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann.

The film follows a period in Ferrari's personal and business life during 1957, including the difficulties facing his automobile company and his involvement in motor racing. The cast included Penelope Cruz as Laura Ferrari, Shailene Woodley as Lina Lardi, and Patrick Dempsey as racing driver Piero Taruffi.

Driver's role required him to portray Ferrari's business responsibilities, family relationships, and conflicts within the competitive motor racing industry.

Megalopolis (2024)

In 2024, Adam Driver starred in Megalopolis, a science fiction drama written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and developed over several decades.

Driver portrayed Cesar Catilina, an architect and inventor who seeks to transform the fictional city of New Rome through an ambitious urban development project.

The film's ensemble cast included Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, and Dustin Hoffman.

Megalopolis premiered in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival before its theatrical release later that year.

Father Mother Sister Brother (2025)

In 2025, Adam Driver appeared in Father Mother Sister Brother, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. The film consists of three interconnected thematic stories examining relationships between adult children and their parents.

Driver portrayed Jeff in the segment titled "Father," appearing opposite Mayim Bialik as his sister Emily and Tom Waits as their father. Their story follows two siblings visiting their father in rural New Jersey.

The film's other segments featured performers including Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Rampling, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat.

Father Mother Sister Brother premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival and won the Golden Lion, the festival's highest award. It later received theatrical distribution in several countries.

Paper Tiger (2026)

Adam Driver portrayed Gary Pearl in Paper Tiger, a crime drama written and directed by James Gray. The film also starred Miles Teller as Irwin Pearl and Scarlett Johansson as Hester Pearl.

Set in New York during the 1980s, the story follows two brothers who become involved in a criminal scheme associated with organized crime. Gary, a former New York police officer, draws his brother Irwin into a business arrangement involving Russian criminals and illegal industrial waste disposal.

The film premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. It was subsequently selected as the opening-night film of the 64th New York Film Festival, where it was presented on September 25, 2026.

Arts in the Armed Forces

In 2006, Adam Driver and actress Joanne Tucker co-founded Arts in the Armed Forces (AITAF), a nonprofit organization intended to bring performing arts experiences to members of the United States military.

The organization arranged free performances, dramatic readings, and other arts programming for active-duty service members, veterans, military support personnel, and their families.

Its events involved professional actors and theater artists performing at military bases and other locations serving military communities. The organization also sought to encourage dialogue between civilian performers and military audiences.

Driver participated in performances and organizational activities while maintaining his film and theater career.

After approximately fifteen years of activity, Arts in the Armed Forces announced that it would cease operations. The organization officially closed on February 1, 2023.

Personal Life and Family

Adam Driver married actress Joanne Tucker on June 22, 2013. The couple met during their studies at the Juilliard School in New York.

They have two children. Driver and Tucker have generally kept details of their children's lives outside public media coverage.

Tucker has worked as an actress and participated in the activities of Arts in the Armed Forces during the organization's years of operation.

Filmography

2026 – Paper Tiger (Gary Pearl; feature film)
2025 – Father Mother Sister Brother (Jeff; feature film)
2024 – Megalopolis (Cesar Catilina; feature film)
2023 – Ferrari (Enzo Ferrari; feature film)
2023 – 65 (Mills; feature film)
2022 – White Noise (Jack Gladney; feature film)
2021 – House of Gucci (Maurizio Gucci; feature film)
2021 – The Last Duel (Jacques Le Gris; feature film)
2021 – Annette (Henry McHenry; feature film)
2019 – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Kylo Ren / Ben Solo; feature film)
2019 – Marriage Story (Charlie Barber; feature film)
2019 – The Report (Daniel Jones; feature film)
2019 – The Dead Don't Die (Officer Ronnie Peterson; feature film)
2018 – BlacKkKlansman (Flip Zimmerman; feature film)
2018 – The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (Toby Grisoni; feature film)
2017 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Kylo Ren / Ben Solo; feature film)
2017 – Logan Lucky (Clyde Logan; feature film)
2017 – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (Randy; feature film)
2016 – Silence (Francisco Garupe; feature film)
2016 – Paterson (Paterson; feature film)
2016 – Midnight Special (Paul Sevier; feature film)
2015 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Kylo Ren / Ben Solo; feature film)
2014 – Hungry Hearts (Jude; feature film)
2014 – While We're Young (Jamie Massey; feature film)
2014 – This Is Where I Leave You (Phillip Altman; feature film)
2013 – Tracks (Rick Smolan; feature film)
2013 – Inside Llewyn Davis (Al Cody; feature film)
2013 – What If (Allan; feature film)
2012–2017 – Girls (Adam Sackler; television series)
2012 – Lincoln (Samuel Beckwith; feature film)
2012 – Frances Ha (Lev Shapiro; feature film)
2012 – Not Waving But Drowning (Adam; feature film)
2011 – J. Edgar (Walter Lyle; feature film)
2010 – You Don't Know Jack (Glen Stetson; television film)

Selected Theater Productions

2019 – Burn This (Pale; Broadway revival; Tony Award nomination)
2011 – Man and Boy (Basil Anthony; Broadway production)
2010 – Mrs. Warren's Profession (Frank Gardner; Broadway revival)

Major Awards and Nominations

2020 – Academy Award nomination, Best Actor – Marriage Story
2019 – Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor – BlacKkKlansman
2019 – Tony Award nomination, Best Actor in a Play – Burn This
2014 – Volpi Cup for Best Actor, Venice International Film Festival – Hungry Hearts
2013–2015 – Three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Girls

Source: Biyografiler.com