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Adam Driver is known by many as the complicated villain Kylo Ren. But before he joined the Star Wars saga, Driver was a military man who later attended Juilliard and acted on Broadway. Here is what Driver has done outside of the Star Wars franchise. 

Adam Driver
Adam Driver | Mike Marsland/WireImage

Adam Driver always loved movies and television

Driver grew up in Indiana, where he had a hard time fitting in. 

“Mishawaka is many good things, but [a] cultural hub of the world it is not,” Driver told The Telegraph. He lived with his grandparents, which wasn’t always entertaining. To escape, Driver would watch “grownup movies” like Predator and Total Recall. 

“We didn’t travel — no one could afford to go to Europe, so for me and my friends, our access to the outside world came through films,” he said. “Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and going to the movies were pretty much our only avenue to get out of this really depressed, industrial town.” 

Eventually, Driver’s source of entertainment turned into a desire and career path. But before he could pursue his dreams, Driver felt compelled to serve in the armed forces. 

Before Adam Driver became an actor, he served in the Marines 

Driver wanted to join the Marines after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He explained to The New Yorker that his desire for retribution “wasn’t against Muslims.” Instead, “It was: We were attacked. I want to fight for my country against whoever that is.”

So, he enlisted in the Marines. Driver was an 81mm mortar man for the Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. After serving for over two years, he was injured in a mountain biking accident and medically discharged. 

Today, Driver continues to support the military through his nonprofit, Arts in the Armed Forces. Driver seeks to make arts programming accessible to active-duty military, veterans, and their families.

Adam Driver has a massive acting portfolio 

Driver might be best known for his role as Kylo Ren in Star Wars, but his acting portfolio goes beyond the space saga. 

Out of acting school, Driver pursued roles in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. His first on-screen appearance was in The Unusuals, a dark comedy about the dysfunctional cops of the New York Police Department.

Throughout 2010 and 2011, Driver appeared in small parts in movies and television. He got his big breakout role on the HBO series Girls, where he starred alongside Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, and Jemima Kirke. 

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In 2013, Driver was cast in the Coen Brothers’ flick, Inside Llewyn Davis. Roles continued to pour in for Driver, both in movies and television. 

Movies and television series Adam Driver has been in

These are the movies, television series, and shorts starring Driver (per IMDB): 

  • The Unusuals
  • Archangel
  • Law & Order 
  • Goldstar, Ohio
  • You Don’t Know Jack 
  • The Wonderful Maladys 
  • Star Tours: The Adventures Continue 
  • J. Edgar
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 
  • Gayby
  • I’m Coming Over 
  • Not Waving But Drowning 
  • Frances ha
  • Lincoln
  • The River 
  • Bluebird 
  • Inside Llewyn Davis 
  • Tracks 
  • What If 
  • Hungry Hearts 
  • While We’re Young 
  • This Is Where I Leave You 
  • Disney Infinity 3.0 
  • The Simpsons 
  • Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens 
  • Midnight Special 
  • Paterson 
  • Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens 
  • Silence 
  • Girls 
  • The Meyerowitz Stories 
  • Logan Lucky 
  • Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi 
  • Bob’s Burgers
  • Saturday Night Live: Cut for Time 
  • BlacKkKlansman
  • The Man Who Killed Don Quixote 
  • The Report 
  • The Dead Don’t Die 
  • Marriage Story 
  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 

Annette is in post-production, and The Last Duel is currently filming. Both are scheduled to release in 2021. 

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