Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) in Episode VIII

I'm really excited about Rian and Adam working together. Both are geniuses! It bodes well for the character of Kylo Ren as these two will make sure he's handled beautifully.

The more I learn stuff about Adam Driver, the more I respect him. He gives his all in everything he does. Recently I've read what Jeff Nichols said about him:

The studio's other pivotal note urged Nichols to look to rising star Driver when casting an intelligent FBI agent tasked with tracking down Alton. "Midnight Special" shot in the period between when Driver was cast in "The Force Awakens" and when the "Star Wars" sequel began production. But Nichols landed the future Kylo Ren months before, thanks to executives in the know.

"I have to give credit where credit is due," the director said. "Greg Silverman, the head of [Warner Bros.] studio, recommended him. They'd worked on another film together [‘This is Where I Leave You’]. I wasn't familiar with his work. I hadn't watched 'Girls,' and I hate to say this, but sometimes you get studio executive notes and you're like, 'Ugh. OK, I guess I’ll go check this guy out.' But in this particular instance, it was an amazing note. It was an amazing idea.

"I remember my casting director Francine Maisler — who's no joke; she's the real deal — she talked to me before I talked to Adam Driver on the phone for the first time. And she was like, 'Don't mess it up!' I didn't understand all the chess pieces that were getting moved around the universal board in the background. I talked to him and he'd seen 'Shotgun Stories,' which makes him one of 17 people, and we just had this great conversation about this character. This character that out of the list of them could be the most clichéd, could be the most stock, and he had ideas about that and they were good ideas. And I was really honest with him, like, 'Hey, look this is the most dangerous character in this film because he could be the most one-dimensional. Help me with this.'

"In one of the first scenes we did together, he has to sit down at this desk, and he bumped into the desk and dropped his bookbag and hit his foot on the chair. I almost called cut because I thought, 'Well, this is obviously a mistake.' But it wasn't. He was beginning to build the behavior of this character. And that's acting. That is somebody who is really thinking about what they're doing. And from that moment on I was tremendously impressed with him."

http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2016/03/09/how-studio-notes-brought-a-superman-nod-and-adam-driver-into-midnight-special/

But Adam Driver, for instance, I have to give credit to Greg Silverman, who's the head studio for Warner Brothers. They had worked with Adam...and they said, "So what about this Adam Driver?" and usually, no offense to studio executives, but you get their notes and you’re like, "Yeah, ok…" But this was an amazing note, and so I flew to Brooklyn and I met him and I still didn't really know about him to be honest. I just didn't know how he fit in this part, but we gave it a shot and he immediately showed up and started making interesting choices.

We took a character that could've been the most clichéd in the whole movie, and maybe still is, but I think it was Adam who started to ask the right questions about that character. Why does he have this ridiculous tape recorder when people are standing behind him with camcorders and computers, typing all this stuff up? Why does he write on yellow legal pad and use post-it notes and dry-erase boards? And it’s because that's the way his brain works. He's an analog guy in this digital world. He's so damn smart that he's working the math out in this tactile way. And he started to bring all this stuff to life. I remember in one of the first scenes we did, he sat down at this desk and banged his leg on the table and dropped his bookbag. And I remember thinking, "Oh, that's terrible, should I call cut?" And I realized, "Oh no, he's being Paul Sevier. That’s how Paul Sevier enters a room." And it just made it better and I'm quite impressed with Adam Driver. I think, the whole "Star Wars" thing aside, I think he’s probably gonna be one of the most important actors of our generation.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jeff-nichols-talks-making-midnight-special-casting-and-why-adam-driver-is-the-most-important-actor-of-our-generation-20160322

Woo! Hey guys, in half an hour The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be airing - with special guest, our own Adam Driver!

Now, he's on to promote his film Midnight Special, but if you think Stephen is letting Adam go without some major Star Wars nerdage then you have another thing coming.

Some prime Stephen Colbert + Kylo Ren/Star Wars love to get you prepared:

This particular video was referenced many many times by Adam Driver when the issue of his lightsaber was brought up.


"You had hair that Kylo Ren would love."


"If that's what you get with the dark side, sign me up!"

Mod edit: thread merge.

@Kalianah This is a great post (and thanks for reminding me to tune in to Colbert) but it belongs in the Adam Driver thread. Thanks!

Doubtful he'll say something about VIII beyond "script is great, Rian is great, everyone's great" but I'm watching.

I'm watching also. He has Kylo-ish hair. <3

Didn't say sith though Colbert didn't ask much aside whether he was filming and how secret it was. But yes, he has Kylo hair and you know he's filming SW cause he's clean shaven. Boy those shoulders are incredibly big.

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.

Oh yes...he has a marvelous voice.
You knows very well how to clearly pronounce his words which likely comes from his theater training.
It is one of the first things I noticed when I was first introduced to him...that deep, yet friendly, voice with the clear wording.
It's appealing and draws you into what he is saying.
Such a great trait, and a important one for a stage performer.

vaderito wrote:Didn't say sith though Colbert didn't ask much aside whether he was filming and how secret it was. But yes, he has Kylo hair and you know he's filming SW cause he's clean shaven. Boy those shoulders are incredibly big.

I know, he's obviously been working out. Kylo Ren is going to be buff from all that dark side training...

I'm sorry, I thought his appearance was more suited for off topic since it was going to be about Midnight Special! I didn't know this thread was a FFA adam <3<3

Anyway, Adam has a velvety voice that's like...not bass or deep, but it is and I don't know how to describe it other than velvet.

The goatee was SUPER curious because it was THERE, but very light - I think he had some time off for midnight special promotion (maybe a week or so)...cause we all know Kylo is going to continue to be clean shaven.

I love listening to him talk =| I honestly rarely -if EVER- listen to interviews with actors/actresses because I find it hard to divide between them and their work if I don't like something they say, but with Adam...I feel warm and fuzzy!

I adored what he said about him preferring movies with more...mystery, less a-b-c formula...he said "I feel like there's strength in ambiguity." and if that's not Kylo Ren in TFA then IDK what is. No wonder he agreed to the role. unf.

Kalianah wrote:I'm sorry, I thought his appearance was more suited for off topic since it was going to be about Midnight Special! I didn't know this thread was a FFA adam <3<3]

No worries, and I fully agree with everything you said in your post about Adam. I like that in his Colbert interview he said he prefers for things to be more ambiguous rather than obvious A -> B -> C. Wishful thinking perhaps, but I would say that bodes well for Reylo and Gray!Kylo/Ben.

I definitely think so too - when I hear ambiguous I think Grey!Kylo or Rey. I'm just...I feel REALLY optimistic, as if everything is coming up rainbows, lol.

I know that's perhaps foolish, but I'm going to live in that bubble for as long as possible =P

I also think it shows that there's WAY more to the Ben/Kylo creation than just a kid who rebelled and wanted to emulate his grandfather. I won't dive into it here, but...there's a looooooooot of shady stuff around Kylo. Like a corrupted double agent.

Kessel89 wrote:

vaderito wrote:Didn't say sith though Colbert didn't ask much aside whether he was filming and how secret it was. But yes, he has Kylo hair and you know he's filming SW cause he's clean shaven. Boy those shoulders are incredibly big.

I know, he's obviously been working out. Kylo Ren is going to be buff from all that dark side training...

That suit jacket was clearly tight (like the button-up shirt in the one recent photo from EW) until he unbuttoned it and sat down.

Just saw the video of Adam Driver speaking to Entertainment Weekly correspondent Joe McGovern during a special screening of Midnight Special.

This is what he said about Episode VIII:
They’re (First Order and Resistance ) still at war. It’s still Star Wars. They’re not at peace.

About Rian Johnson (and JJ Abrams):
Their temperaments are different. I feel like there was so many moving pieces in the first one – just trying to solve it and set the vocabulary for what it was. There’s a lot of that anxiety is gone, because people have developed a language. I think it’s more of a testament to Rian coming into something very established and making it [his own]. I can’t wait to get on set, just because he’s so unassuming and intelligent and approachable. The script they’ve come up with is really great.

http://bcove.me/qms8eqxq

So Kylo Ren is already established as a particularly powerful force user, but he stifles half of his person, the Light half. I have this head canon that even aside from a possible force bond once Kylo/Ben lets the Light back in he's going to be even more powerful. Can you imagine what he'll be able to do? What abilities he'd have once he has both sides of the Force fully at his disposal?

@meadowofashes

basically also my assumption. i think that's why snoke likes to humiliate him because if kylo himself believed in his own power (and i'm not sure i want it all to be uncontained at the moment), i think snoke wouldn't stand a chance against him.

for that reason i also think that kylo/ben being able to fully realise himself, would make snoke obsolete and possibly save the story from having to kill him (not that i want him around anymore, i just want him to become utterly insignificant).

@jakkusun My impression having watched that was that AD not being in the public eye much lately was by choice (though I'm sure Disney has had tight control on interviews etc.).

AnneNeville wrote:@jakkusun My impression having watched that was that AD not being in the public eye much lately was by choice (though I'm sure Disney has had tight control on interviews etc.).

Oh, yes, I believe you are right. In another interview before the movie came out he said he planned to sort go into hiding after the movie hit theaters and not even keep up with the box office numbers or go to any theaters himself. I think staying out of the public eye is his usual strategy, too.

jakkusun wrote:

AnneNeville wrote:@jakkusun My impression having watched that was that AD not being in the public eye much lately was by choice (though I'm sure Disney has had tight control on interviews etc.).

Oh, yes, I believe you are right. In another interview before the movie came out he said he planned to sort go into hiding after the movie hit theaters and not even keep up with the box office numbers or go to any theaters himself. I think staying out of the public eye is his usual strategy, too.

And smart, if he wants a shot at a normal life.

When the premiere came around, he and his wife went up to their cabin in upstate NY so he's definitely like 'ahhh get me out of here' and that's adorable - and very smart.

As for the Kylo, Light, and being more powerful - I would totally agree, but doesn't the visual dictionary explicitly state that Snoke encourages Kylo to use both sides of the Force? I agree Snoke is keeping him abused and down, etc. so that Kylo is completely dependent on him and the First Order's 'purpose', and I think that Kylo suppressing the use of the Light side is to keep it from confusing him even more.

I think he realizes that he can't use the Light much, because he's SO close to tipping over all of the time.

Like in the village scene - he stares at the people as the Stormtroopers kill them. That just screams 'I need to let this feed my darkness' to me. Especially when you remember that the 'I feel it again, the call to the light' scene was originally supposed to be right after that village scene (not immediately but close) but in editing they changed it so it would have more impact.

@guardienne

What's curious to me is that Snoke regards him as this "ideal focal point of the Light and the Dark", which kindof skeeves me out anyway, like Kylo has been his prize pet since childhood *shudders*. But at the same time he keeps him from fully realizing himself because, I agree with you, if Kylo were to realize his full potential Snoke wouldn't stand a chance. So then what is the end game with Kylo? What is this fascination with Kylo being a perfect balance of the two if Kylo's only made to tap into the Dark Side? I'm not sure I know what direction to take with Snoke's motives.

I think it has to do with the Force mythology and history that we'll dive into - I talked about it somewhere else on here, but the idea that LST and the Church of the Force and the First Jedi Temple were all introduced to movie audiences is not a coincidence.

There's something major going on with the Force in general - and I think it's in reaction to Snoke's rise to power, he's a threat to the Galaxy in a major way and he'll probably end up using Kylo for some dark ritual or something. Whatever it is, it's definitely tangled up in the Force mythology.

There's tons of stuff in the EU that they can pull from, not to mention the KOTOR stuff about Revan and his immortality, and the scourge of malachor, etc....

jakkusun wrote:

Thank you for sharing this here.
Everyone should take a look at this as it is recent and a great little interview.
That being said....

Wow..Adam seems very nervous and uncomfortable here.
Exspecially the comments regarding his 'sexiness' factor.
Also a little concerning to hear about how he has pretty much been in hiding over the last couple of months due to the overwhelming and sudden public spotlight being focused on him since 'The Force Awakens' hit theaters.

A lot of his comments are humorous though...so this is a gem of a interview.
He is just SO uncomfortable here.
I have seen interviews with him before in awkward situations, but this one is tops in both charm and shyness.
Driver fans will read volumes into his behavior and body language.  
Like a shy child who is not used to all the sudden attention and just wants to hide behind the sofa.

Bless his little heart.

Regarding Snoke seeing Ren as the ideal focal point. Do you think Ren might be so desperate to amp up his Dark Side because he doesn't want to give Snoke access to his full powers? He's obviously aware that Snoke is planning to use him for some specific purpose, and what if his real agenda is to prevent Snoke's agenda from happening? He knows that the purpose is getting closer now, hence his desperate pleas to his grandfather's ghost to help him stay darker...?

When he and Snoke were talking about the awakening, I got the feeling they weren't thinking about some random girl's awakening at all, but they were discussing an expected phenomenon in the Force in a way that connected the phenomenon to Ren himself. In the book it was something like: "The elements align, Kylo Ren, and you alone are caught in the winds of the storm." (But later Ren finds out he's not alone: "It is you".)

Darth Dingleberry wrote:Regarding Snoke seeing Ren as the ideal focal point. Do you think Ren might be so desperate to amp up his Dark Side because he doesn't want to give Snoke access to his full powers? He's obviously aware that Snoke is planning to use him for some specific purpose, and what if his real agenda is to prevent Snoke's agenda from happening? He knows that the purpose is getting closer now, hence his desperate pleas to his grandfather's ghost to help him stay darker...?

When he and Snoke were talking about the awakening, I got the feeling they weren't thinking about some random girl's awakening at all, but they were discussing an expected phenomenon in the Force in a way that connected the phenomenon to Ren himself. In the book it was something like: "The elements align, Kylo Ren, and you alone are caught in the winds of the storm." (But later Ren finds out he's not alone: "It is you".)

Yes, I defintely think there is something more to this "awakening" and Kylo is a part of it. It appears the force has been dormant for some time before the awakening, so there's new things about the force this trilogy is giving to reveal.

It reminds me of that page from TFA's art book with Kylo and Han on the catwalk, and Rey and Finn watching from above, and there's a light shining on Rey and Kylo and it says something like, the force makes its decision(?)  I don't know the exact words as I don't have the book, but it's something like that. I'm also reminded of JJ's words from the interview/blue ray extra(?) where he says the dark side of the force awakens in Kylo, although I don't know if he meant it literally?