Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) in Episode VIII

This is the thread for Adam Driver/Kylo Ren in Episode VIII. What will he do in the next movie?

Hopefully plenty more of the things that drew our attention to him in the first film...!




To be serious though, I am hoping for more insights into his character.
More insights into Ben Solo's past, and perhaps a explaination of why he turned to the Dark Side.
What was it that finally pushed him over the edge...what was it that Snoke said to convince him to do so, or what chain of events caused Ben to turn away from the Light..?
That is what I would like to see touched on in the next chapter, among other things.

This is completely superficial, but I hope they allow him to physically look his age a bit more in Episode VIII. And if they plan to show that he's matured (i.e. more in control, fewer tantrums), that might be one way to do it. More Adam Driver-esque looking, less pretty prince.

You guys are silly. This is a place for shirtlessness so lets see some 8 packs!











Edit by Berhan: Reminder: Keep in mind that it's a family-friendly forum, the pictures I removed were overtly sexual (topless ones are "fine") | Besides, the "Adam Driver Image Repository" thread in the Multimedia section would be more appropriate for sharing pictures of him ;]

ISeeAnIsland wrote:This is completely superficial, but I hope they allow him to physically look his age a bit more in Episode VIII. And if they plan to show that he's matured (i.e. more in control, fewer tantrums), that might be one way to do it. More Adam Driver-esque looking, less pretty prince.

Same here. I'm also wondering if his outfit will also change to reflect this? I don't think he got his helmet back, unless someone picked it up? Maybe he'll have a shiny new one ( same design or otherwise ).

No helmet please! His face is so expressive and he has a badass scar now so they should leave his face uncovered.

I always got the impression from the way Adam walked in costume he was secretly cursing not just the helmet where he couldn't see out of the visor but also the length of the coat. I always thought he was a step away from falling flat on his face. So for Adam's sake I hope they refine his costume. I know that the long coat bits make great imagery for spins but man I got distracted when he walked out of his limo and when he was walking with Hux on Finalizer.

I agree that Adam's face should not be covered or masked in any way this next time around.
There is no need now since we as an audience saw his 'real face' and there is no logical reason character development wise to hide himself.
It would be a disappointment, personally for me, to see Kylo Ren appear in the next chapter with a new helmet or other covering.
His cloth hood...that is fine, but NO covering his face up!
Far too much going to waste there with this talented a actor in this role.
I think most here would agree that some of the films most powerful and compelling moments involved seeing Adam's emotional performance..in his uncovered face.
There needs to be more of that going forward.

Also, for the sake of Adam's comfort, I hope they refrain from insisting he wear another mask.
It was pretty clear it brought him a lot of discomfort and grief, and I also get the impression it took away from the enjoyment he typically feels when working.
When I have heard him talk about his experience, there are similarities between his situation making the film and the character he is also playing.
The mask cut him off a bit from the usual interplay and commodary actors feed off of from each other.
I know he really loves that aspect of the work...and to be denied that must have been disappointing in some ways.
Adam was kind of on his own..cut off from the others due to his commitments to 'Girls' still filming Stateside and the way he had to sporadically shoot his scenes for TFA elsewhere.
He was split between two productions on two different continents, and that must have been a grueling schedule.
The intensity of his performance I have no doubts benefitted from what he was probably going through at the time.
Remember Daisy commented on how he was always shouting loudly in the background 'rehearsing'...?
Yeah, getting all those pent up feelings out..it's a good, therapeutic thing to do.

Wearing the mask most of the time didn't help matters I'm sure as he has said he didn't really 'see' most of what he was doing or who was with him.
The mask served its purpose extremely well in 'The Force Awakens' but now , as Han Solo said himself, Ben 'does'nt need it anymore'....and neither does Adam!
Good riddance!


A costume change, or refinement I can see possibly happening.
I love his knightly 'look' and the pleated arm sleeves are just so visually appealing to me.
Dare I say it, but it has a inherent 'sexiness' about it.
Again, likely international by the filmmakers and costume designers.
I would not mind seeing slight modifications, or perhaps slight enhancements.

I agree wholeheartedly that Driver/Kylo should have more scenes without the mask, but I would like to see him wear it in some limited scenes as well (in battle, with his KOR). Also, sometimes I think may wear one when we initially see him in episode VIII, but eventually take it off and reveal his scar (maybe for Rey again?)...

I loved Kylo with the mask and without the mask, and Driver is such a master at conveying body language that the mask never got in the way for me.  However, I do believe his face will definitely be more on display now that he has his yin and yang scar, courtesy of Rey.

I hope the mask stays. I absolutely love the design, and it creates the duality which to me is one of the biggest draws of the character. His unmasked scenes would never have the punch they do without the masked scenes, and they really demonstrate how much Driver can do with voice and body language alone.

There are such great talents behind the series now, so I'm not too worried. I'd be cool either way and I trust the crew to take the character in a great direction, outfit and character wise.

Kessel89 wrote:I agree wholeheartedly that Driver/Kylo should have more scenes without the mask, but I would like to see him wear it in some limited scenes as well (in battle, with his KOR). Also, sometimes I think may wear one when we initially see him in episode VIII, but eventually take it off and reveal his scar (maybe for Rey again?)...

I loved Kylo with the mask and without the mask, and Driver is such a master at conveying body language that the mask never got in the way for me.  However, I do believe his face will definitely be more on display now that he has his yin and yang scar, courtesy of Rey.

This!!
It's a pity we'll have to wait so long.

PSA for Adam Driver fans: today Entertainment Weekly posted a live interview with Adam Driver and others for Midnight Special. You can watch it on their facbook page!

EDIT:
So part of the interview is applicable to this forum and it can be found in this totally legal clip. Adam thinks the script for viii is really good and he says he isn't just saying that! All signs are still good so far!

Saracene wrote:I hope the mask stays. I absolutely love the design, and it creates the duality which to me is one of the biggest draws of the character. His unmasked scenes would never have the punch they do without the masked scenes, and they really demonstrate how much Driver can do with voice and body language alone.

i think the scar might now be the thing that gives him duality.

i love the asmk, too, and would be sad to see it go but i can see it being the same on and i can't see them change it either because it's iconic in itself. so, i don't know what to think.

This is about redemption, but also a lot about Adam Driver and what he does in real life. I thought that this best went here.

I was reminded of a short meta I once read,

The Story of Kylo Ren is the archetypal journey of a soldier, and I don't believe it will end in darkness or despair: (Or, how I learned to stop worrying and trust Adam Driver),

when I started listening to The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today on audiobook (because Adam Driver narrates it). The way Adam so passionately reads the author's words about how the psychological traumas of characters in ancient Greek tragedies apply in an important way to real-life people and soldiers got me thinking about how Star Wars could be headed in that direction (not in the tragedy direction, but a deeper, more emotional connection direction).

Star Wars is about war, but it is also not, when taken as a whole, a tragedy. However, right now in the trilogy, things started out a lot like a tragedy, especially with Kylo killing Han. Star Wars now has the potential (and is already beginning to take it) to show killing and war in a more complex and emotional light than ever before. This is what I think VIII will do a lot of (and this is why Adam is so excited for it and why John says it is darker).

IX needs to end with, hope, however, and redemption, which is also what Adam tries to do with his non-profit, Art in the Armed Forces. His non-profit is all about helping soldiers to find self-expression/find themselves in art and stories as a way to cope with/understand/process the violence they have seen/taken part in, and more particularly, the strong emotions involved with those experiences (the meta I posted is more eloquent on this).

Now, I know I am bringing real-life comparisons into a fictional story, but this is really not a direct comparison. All fictional stories apply to real life, and this is talking about how the Star Wars stories can/could apply to soldiers and/or people who have been through traumatic events, not how any character is a direct comparison.

I think that this is interesting and important as far as what experiences and ideas Adam Driver has in his background that will inevitably influence his acting/characterization of Kylo Ren.

I think Kylo Ren is already set up to show the conflict/trauma/loneliness/dehumanization/difficulty to control/understand emotions that many soldiers have to deal with and I don't think Adam Driver would be interested in playing a character who becomes more powerful by descending into this darkness, never to find his way back to the light again (because it would flatten the character, I am sure he has no problem playing a true bad guy in principle).

I also note that this is just one of many aspects of Kylo Ren as a character that could be explored, but it is one that is close-to-home for Adam Driver.

@jakkusun i love what you're saying.

i have so many hopes for this trilogy. i'm so sad when people think it'll be the one thing and it will continue as it always was ... have a look at the force thread that i made, i can never find it here, i found an amazing meta yesterday that is concerned with the theology of the dark side.

I have started sharing my Adam Driver photo collection over in the 'Adam Image Thread' elsewhere on this Forum, but decided to add a few choice images here related to Kylo Ren in particular for everyone's enjoyment.

So enjoy..and savor!

All are officially released still images from the 'Saturday Night Live' sketch featuring our favorite Radar Technician ...yours truly.


Hi there !







Here we go....


First, Kylo wearing that beautiful costume.
During the skit shoot, Adam wore one of the original screen used Kylo costumes as seen in this photo -






Next, pure Kylo Ren rage as he has a hard time hearing any criticism from his fellow FO employees about his haphazard looking lightsaber -

"  Well you don't have to LOOK AT IT anymore..! "
( throw saber across the room... )





More pure Kylo Ren rage ( because you know you love his tantrums..! )
This was right after 'Matt' vented regarding a insulting poster he saw in the employee break room, apologizing to his employees.
Well, sort of 'apologizing' as you can see from this photo -

"....Sorry...employees....!!....."







Seriously, what is NOT to love about 'Matt'...?
So he's moody, but ya gotta love em'.




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jakkusun wrote:This is about redemption, but also a lot about Adam Driver and what he does in real life. I thought that this best went here.

I was reminded of a short meta I once read,

The Story of Kylo Ren is the archetypal journey of a soldier, and I don't believe it will end in darkness or despair: (Or, how I learned to stop worrying and trust Adam Driver),

when I started listening to The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today on audiobook (because Adam Driver narrates it). The way Adam so passionately reads the author's words about how the psychological traumas of characters in ancient Greek tragedies apply in an important way to real-life people and soldiers got me thinking about how Star Wars could be headed in that direction (not in the tragedy direction, but a deeper, more emotional connection direction).

Star Wars is about war, but it is also not, when taken as a whole, a tragedy. However, right now in the trilogy, things started out a lot like a tragedy, especially with Kylo killing Han. Star Wars now has the potential (and is already beginning to take it) to show killing and war in a more complex and emotional light than ever before. This is what I think VIII will do a lot of (and this is why Adam is so excited for it and why John says it is darker).

IX needs to end with, hope, however, and redemption, which is also what Adam tries to do with his non-profit, Art in the Armed Forces. His non-profit is all about helping soldiers to find self-expression/find themselves in art and stories as a way to cope with/understand/process the violence they have seen/taken part in, and more particularly, the strong emotions involved with those experiences (the meta I posted is more eloquent on this).

Now, I know I am bringing real-life comparisons into a fictional story, but this is really not a direct comparison. All fictional stories apply to real life, and this is talking about how the Star Wars stories can/could apply to soldiers and/or people who have been through traumatic events, not how any character is a direct comparison.

I think that this is interesting and important as far as what experiences and ideas Adam Driver has in his background that will inevitably influence his acting/characterization of Kylo Ren.

I think Kylo Ren is already set up to show the conflict/trauma/loneliness/dehumanization/difficulty to control/understand emotions that many soldiers have to deal with and I don't think Adam Driver would be interested in playing a character who becomes more powerful by descending into this darkness, never to find his way back to the light again (because it would flatten the character, I am sure he has no problem playing a true bad guy in principle).

I also note that this is just one of many aspects of Kylo Ren as a character that could be explored, but it is one that is close-to-home for Adam Driver.

Beautifully stated, and i agree.
This has a personal connection for Adam in some respects, as he can relate to the situation this character in in on some levels.
It is one of the reasons,  i am sure , that made him decide to accept the role.
Every performer likes to be artistically challenged in their field and in all cases you bring a bit of yourself into it.
You cannot help it.  You have to draw from within, especially for emotionally charged scenes.
There are aspects that he may well relate to on a personal level that help him 'get into character'.

Adam has said in the past that he had a interest in the character as a means to explore further what it would be like to be such a repressed personality.
What would someone be like if they felt a need to hide themselves from everyone and everything dressed they way Kylo Ren is..completely wrapped up and behind a mask..?
How would someone who has been in that situation act psychologically..and how would he relate to others...?
One thing i know Adam loves is to get himself completely engrossed and 'lost' in a character role.
A complex and layered character like Kylo Ren is just perfect for really digging deep from within.
I think this is why his personification of him onscreen is just so stunning - you can FEEL the pain on the screen.
You SEE IT in those eyes.
It is very difficult to pull that off as a actor on screen and make it look believable to a audience.
There is definitely more at play there then just 'playing a role', bless him.

There is a depth to the character that i feel Adam could well be drawing from on a personal level.
His own experiences dealing with his own emotional trauma after he served in the military and had to return to civilian life is something that i would think would come into play when drawing from within to play this role.
It's a heartfelt story hearing him talk about it....he really went through a tough time when he was younger.
When i first heard him tell it i immediately felt a connection to Ben / Kylo's own emotional difficulties.

I am so happy for Adam now, with the full-blown success he has found playing this role.
All those years ago he took the self initiative to make something of his life against some tough obstacles in his way, but he DID IT and MADE IT.
It is a great victory for those of us watching from the sidelines.
I wish him nothing but the best in the future, Episode VIII included!



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jakkusun wrote:PSA for Adam Driver fans: today Entertainment Weekly posted a live interview with Adam Driver and others for Midnight Special. You can watch it on their facbook page!

EDIT:
So part of the interview is applicable to this forum and it can be found in this totally legal clip. Adam thinks the script for viii is really good and he says he isn't just saying that! All signs are still good so far!

Thank you for posting this! He's so smart and funny AND he's got his gorgeous Kylo Ren hair

I can't wait to watch him on S. Colbert.

There's an article from EW too: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/29/adam-driver-star-wars-episode-viii-filming-update?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter

Kessel89 wrote:

jakkusun wrote:PSA for Adam Driver fans: today Entertainment Weekly posted a live interview with Adam Driver and others for Midnight Special. You can watch it on their facbook page!

EDIT:
So part of the interview is applicable to this forum and it can be found in this totally legal clip. Adam thinks the script for viii is really good and he says he isn't just saying that! All signs are still good so far!

Thank you for posting this! He's so smart and funny AND he's got his gorgeous Kylo Ren hair

I can't wait to watch him on S. Colbert.

There's an article from EW too: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/29/adam-driver-star-wars-episode-viii-filming-update?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter

I like how Adam mentioned that the script is great and that he can't wait to get on set. His character arc must be very interesting for Adam to like it

@guardienne I'll get check out the thread!
@Kylo Ren's 8-Pack Nice pictures and "Yes! Yes! Exactly!" to your post!
@Kessel89 Yeah! I don't think I'll be able to watch it live, though. :/ Thanks for the link!

I just had to post these pages from the book The Theater of War (they are from the free sample of the book, too, so it is 100% legal to post these, since anyone can go access them). I am really liking this book and recommend it (especially the audio version with AD narrating).

The pages are showing up huge so I put them in this spoiler tag:

I think Han's death and Kylo Ren's life up until the end of TFA is a mini-tragedy and that in viii and ix we will get the unique chance to see the character actually learn from the tragedy. I think Kylo Ren will get to do what other tragic characters don't. He will be able to "correct course" and Han's death won't just mean something, Han's death with do something.

This book also talks a lot about fate in the tragedies which is super applicable to Kylo Ren "having too much Vader" in him, thing. I don't think that "fate" will be theme of Star Wars. It will be about overcoming what seemed fated.

And this really does apply to Adam Driver because as this article, shows, they work together and probably share a similar views.

@jakkusun It's a great point about hamartia, taught as "tragic flaw" (like a character flaw) to many a high school and college class. An innacuracy, to be sure, that makes a huge difference in interpretation.

The thing I find interesting about Adam Driver is his speaking voice. It is so interesting and distinct. I just love listening to him speak.

Have people seen this? Obviously not giving too much away but he says he is impressed with the script and is excited to work with Rian http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/29/adam-driver-star-wars-episode-viii-filming-update

Birdwoman wrote:The thing I find interesting about Adam Driver is his speaking voice.  It is so interesting and distinct.  I just love listening to him speak.

Yeah, his voice is so distinctive, like pretty much everything about him really. He knows how to use it as well, his line delivery in TFA is exceptional. I think he's got background in theatre?

His monologue in the Darth Vader mask scene is a good example. If you just look at the monologue itself, the writing is nothing special and kinda cheesy. But Driver's body language and delivery is just the bomb and makes the scene intense and emotional.