ROUNDABOUT BLOG

Adam Driver

Actor Profile:

Name: Adam Driver

Show: Mrs. Warren’s Profession

Character: Frank Gardner

Q: Where are you from?

A: Born in San Diego California. Raised in the small town of Mishawaka, Indiana.

 Q: What was your first acting gig?

A: Oklahoma. Freshman year of High School. My one line was “Check his heart.”

 Q: When did you realize you wanted to become a professional actor?

A: I actually had a very clear moment when I knew I wanted to be an actor. I was in the Marine Corps, and Artillery was firing white phosphorus over our heads. Our FO (Forward Observer) gave them the wrong coordinates and they fired on us. If it wasn’t windy that day we all would’ve been dead because it blew the white phosphorus just in front of our gun line. I knew right then I wanted to try smoking and act. I eventually quit smoking sort of, but acting is still happening.

 Q: What is your funniest onstage mishap?

A: I was playing Marc Antony in Julius Caesar and it was the part where Antony is giving this big speech post Caesar’s death about Caesar’s Will. At it’s climax I’m supposed to say atop this terrace to the crowd below, “Do you wish to see the will?” and the crowd says “Yes” and I climb down the front of this terrace and pull it out. The Will that is. So I say “Do you wish to see the Will” and they say “Yes” and I reach into my pocket to get it and it’s not there. I have been going on about this Will for like 5 minutes so I have to come up with this thing. So I just kept asking “Well, do you want to see the Will?” as if they’re volume in saying “Yes” would encourage me to produce it. After a good 10 seconds of this on repeat, I remembered we had a rehearsal Will in the trap room under the stage. So I ran inside from the terrace where I was standing, ran down under the stage, grabbed the will and ran back up to the crowd on the main level.  Obviously I usually don’t take this route so when I finally resurface the entire crowd was facing the opposite direction towards the terrace, adlibbing lines like “Where did he go?”, “I hope he comes back.”

 Q: Were you intimidated at all acting opposite Cherry Jones?

A: Cherry wouldn’t let me be. She is one of the most approachable/kind/unassuming/humble people I’ve met, so even if I wanted to cower in a corner she’d pull me out of it. She’s truly an amazing leader.

Cherry Jones and Adam Driver in Mrs. Warren's Profession; Photo Credit: Joan Marcus, 2010

 Q: If you could play any real person on stage, who would it be? Why?

A: Albert Einstein. Because he’s awesome and it’d be hard to make work.

 Q: Name one embarrassing song downloaded on your iPod.

A: Hollaback Girl: Gwen Stefani

 Q: Any words of wisdom to aspiring performers?

A: Do the work.

Adam Driver can be seen in Mrs. Warren's Profession, now playing its final week at the American Airlines Theatre.