Adam Driver found his ‘Star Wars’ experience exhausting and does not enjoy the studio system.

Adam Driver has now become one of the most sought-after actors owing to his performances in recent years. In addition to playing Kylo Ren in Star Wars, Driver gained attention for his incredible performances in Marriage Story, The Last Duel, and House of Gucci. He seems to find his groove while playing character-driven roles rather than being in a big-budget studio film.

Adam Driver in Marriage Story

Kylo Ren undoubtedly remains Driver’s most popular and recognizable role to date. He received stellar pay for starring in the franchise and his Star Wars sequel trilogy all made a billion dollars at the box office. Despite all that, he recently expressed his displeasure about his time in Star Wars and the studio system.

Adam Driver Calls His Star Wars Experience ‘Exhausting’

Adam Driver did not particularly enjoy his time on Star Wars

Adam Driver played the main antagonist Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Despite being divisive among the fan community, all three films were huge commercial successes. Driver even received a whopping mid to high six-figure pay to star in Episode IX which was Star Wars: The Force Awakens back in 2015. (via Stylecaster)

However, Driver is not pleased with his time on the franchise. While speaking to the Smartless podcast, the actor revealed that the studio system and its cumbersome mode of functioning exhausted him.

He feels that he wasted a lot of energy trying to satisfy Star Wars fans rather than fulfilling his own artistic desires. He also claimed that he wouldn’t be reprising his Star Wars role anymore. He said,
“They’re doing stuff, yeah, but not with me. I’m not doing Star Wars was way more exhausting for me than I…” he said before he corrected himself. “I made it more exhausting than it should’ve been. Because I hadn’t figured out the momentum of a set that was that big before.

All the things I had worked on were really small and they moved pretty fast [in comparison to Star Wars]. I was wasting a lot of energy trying to keep something like… kind of an engine going.”

The actor has moved on from the franchise and has focused on more character-driven roles with films like House of Gucci, The Last Duel, and recently Ferrari. It looks like the actor would not commit to a big-budget studio film unless it has something exciting for him that challenges him as an actor.

Adam Driver is Happy That Ferrari is Completely Character Over Spectacle

Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari in 2023’s Ferrari

Adam Driver is getting a lot of attention for his latest starring role as Enzo Ferrari in Michael Mann’s Ferrari. The actor is playing the real-life sports racer and entrepreneur who founded the Ferrari automobile. Driver recently talked about how Hollywood has resorted to producing spectacle event films rather than meaningful cinema.

The actor told Sky News that amidst the big-budget superhero and franchise films that have dominated the market, he is happy to share a more character-driven piece with Ferrari where the focus is more on the narrative and the performances. He said,

“So many people – and you know me too – complain how wouldn’t it be great to again see a character-driven story where spectacle takes a back seat… and I feel like it doesn’t happen often, so I’m very happy to be here talking about this movie.”

While the film has received generally positive reviews, some sections of the audience have criticized the casting of American actors to play Italian characters. As of 2024, Driver will star in Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus Megalopolis, which is expected to be premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.