Adam Driver | Smartless

Character Evolution

Adam Driver shares insights into his character's evolution in the Star Wars saga, highlighting the intended contrast with Darth Vader's journey. He explains that his character, Kylo Ren, was initially conceived to start as vulnerable and gradually become more committed to the dark side, unlike Vader, who begins as dark and becomes vulnerable over time. This transformation was a personal interpretation that Driver maintained throughout his portrayal, even as the narrative evolved.

The idea was that his journey was supposed to be the opposite of Vader's, in that he starts almost the most vulnerable and becomes, little by little, more committed to the dark side.

--- Adam Driver

This approach influenced his performance, especially in pivotal scenes like the confrontation with Han Solo, where Kylo Ren's internal conflict is palpable 1.

   

Behind-the-Scenes

Driver also shares memorable behind-the-scenes moments from filming Star Wars, particularly during intense scenes. He recounts a specific instance during the final battle with Rey in "The Force Awakens," where his character's physical pain was portrayed through a spontaneous action of hitting his hip. This unscripted moment added depth to the character's struggle and was a testament to Driver's commitment to authenticity in his performance.

When you're wounded, and you're walking around in a circle and you start banging the side of your hip like this, trying to get, like, the pain away or something, cause you're bleeding.

--- Will Arnett

Such anecdotes reveal the creative process and the collaborative environment on set, where actors could explore and contribute to their characters' development 1.