Actor Adam Driver may be best known for his role as Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. Since then, however, he has starred in many different projects and has even earned two Academy Award nominations. Fans hope he’ll earn a third nomination for his role in James Gray’s crime drama “Paper Tiger,” in which he and actor Miles Teller play brothers who get caught up in a get-rich-quick scheme with the Russian mafia. Even though it may not seem like it, Driver apparently used some of his lightsaber training on set!
Adam Driver Reveals How His ‘Star Wars’ Lightsaber Skills Factored Into ‘Paper Tiger’
In “Paper Tiger,” there’s a scene where Driver’s character starts whipping the Russian mafia gang members with a belt. During an interview with Tyler Treese of ComingSoon.net, Driver was asked if his “lightsaber skills” would “transfer over” from his work on “Star Wars.”
“Oh, I mean, yeah, we just blocked it out. It was a half-day event,” Driver explained. “We also were racing time because we could only close the street off for a little bit. But then I just channeled all the times that I was spanked with a belt when I was a kid and just…”
During the joint interview, Teller jumped in to say, “Time for you to dish it out, baby.”
“Yeah, to total strangers, to transfer it over to people that I didn’t know,” Driver added, to which Teller joked, “That’s healthy.”
Adam Driver Sheds More Light On His Decision To Join ‘X-Men’
Many fans are looking forward to his upcoming role as Minister Sinister in the MCU “X-Men” reboot. While speaking with Treese, Driver said he won’t accept a project he’s not 100% committed to.
“It’s either a f— yeah or it’s a no. That’s my biggest thing,” he explained. “There’s definitely been films with a great director that I’ve always wanted to work with, but the script wasn’t quite right or I didn’t feel like that was the right thing to do next. So it kind of goes both ways.”
The “House of Gucci” actor noted that timing is also important when it comes to which roles he chooses to do. However, the most important decision when deciding which roles to accept is how passionate he feels about the project.
“I had to compress it to one overarching principle, it’s like if I want to do it, all in that or nothing else, or it’s no,” he continued. “They’re too difficult and take too much time to just go through the motions.”
“It has to be really, really worth it,” he added. “And for X-Men, I think it’s going to be really cool.”
Adam Driver Discussed His ‘X-Men’ Future On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
Driver has been doing a lot of press for “Paper Tiger” after he received a Gotham Award nomination for Outstanding Performing Actor for the film, which hits theaters later this month. One of his stops included a trip to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on November 6.
During the interview, the “Paterson” actor revealed that he read the “X-Men” comic books and watched the animated series as a child. The nostalgia factor definitely played a role in why he chose to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given his past history with Disney.
Host Jimmy Kimmel also referenced the actor’s history with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. The Marvel boss previously revealed that it had become a “tradition” to offer Driver a part, only for the actor to think it over and respectfully decline. However, with “X-Men,” Driver finally said yes.
Driver told the host that he has always been “a big fan” of “X-Men,” although he admitted, “I was a fan of the other things, too, but this one felt like the right time.”
The creative team behind the movie also played a major role in his decision to accept the role.
“It was really X-Men and Jake Schreier, who’s the director, his idea for it, and that it’s Kevin Feige,” he explained. “It all kind of came together. The script is really cool.”
Adam Driver Is Also Going To Appear In The ‘Heat’ Sequel
While doing press for “Paper Tiger,” Driver appeared on The Rich Eisen Show, where he talked about playing the lead villain in the “Heat” sequel. He also expressed excitement about working with director Michael Mann again, who directed the 2023 biopic “Ferrari,” in which Driver also starred.
“Heat is a masterpiece,” Driver told Eisen. “I love Michael, I loved working with him [on] Ferrari, but working on this? I’m excited. The cast is so awesome.”
Even though the movie skips around in time, Driver said that the script is “even more condensed and streamlined,” adding, “Obviously, in the book you have to have a lot of descriptors, but with the film it’s just a missile.”
Adam Driver Won’t Appear In ‘Star Wars’ Or ‘Girls’
Even though fans are excited to see Driver in “X-Men” and the “Heat” sequel, he recently revealed that he won’t appear in two other projects.
During the same appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Driver revealed that his scrapped “Star Wars” movie, “The Hunt for Ben Solo,” was no longer on the table.
“No more ‘Star Wars.’ We tried. We tried to do one more,” Driver said. “But they were like, ‘No, he’s dead.’”
That same week, he also revealed that he wouldn’t be returning to the “Girls” reboot. CinemaBlend asked the actor whether he’d return for the final five episodes.
“Nope,” Driver said. “But I wish them the best of luck.”
