Adam Driver is one of the most famous actors in Hollywood and has become highly active in the last decade. He has done some of the most career-defining roles as villain Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel and Charlie Barber in Marriage Story with Scarlett Johansson.
Driver has received various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Many consider him a fresh, modern male figure in cinema. Now, he is an established actor with a large portfolio, but it didn’t come easily to him.
Adam Driver’s Journey Was Not Effortless
Before achieving fame as an actor, Adam Driver took various odd jobs and also served in the United States Marine Corps. The star grew up in Indiana, and in his earlier days, he participated in various school plays to fulfill his acting desires.
Later, he also auditioned for the Julliard School to become an actor but faced rejection. This led him to give up on his acting dreams. He then worked as a telemarketer for a basement waterproofing company and Ben Franklin construction company. He also worked as a door-to-door salesman for Kirby Vacuum.
The actor then attended the University of Indianapolis (for a year) and transferred to study drama at Juilliard School in New York City. He graduated in 2009 and started his acting career in plays and even appeared on Broadway.
But again, he faced another hardship — which was with his own thoughts. Driver once believed he couldn’t become a leading man due to his unique appearance, but he turned out to be wrong.
Adam Driver Believed His Unconventional Looks Hindered Leading Roles
Adam Driver doesn’t think that well of himself. Even when he took on the role of Adam Sackler, Driver doubted if he could ever be more than a character actor. In a 2013 interview with The New York Times, he expressed skepticism about becoming a leading man in the movies:
I’m like a sight gag, I have this really big face…I don’t totally get it. I mean, when I read for Girls (2012) I was, like, the script says ‘Handsome Carpenter,’ so someone else is going to get the part. They will have someone handsome, not me. I mean, I’m not in any danger of getting leading-man parts.
Even though the actor faced challenges because of his doubts early in his Hollywood career — he eventually found his path to stardom. In his role as Adam Sackler, Hannah Horvath’s (Lena Dunham) sometimes boyfriend in Girls, his memorable looks — tall frame, dark hair, and unique facial expression with intense acting are widely praised.
