Adam Driver Vowed To Not Watch Himself In Movies Until He Had The Chance To Do It With Carrie Fisher And Daisy Ridley. (He Still Has Regrets.)
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Adam Driver is one of the most versatile actors out there. Whether his best movie performances can make you laugh, like in What If?, or break your heart, like in Marriage Story, Driver knows how to win over an audience. Even if fans love seeing him onscreen, Driver still vowed not to watch himself in his movies until he had the chance to do so with Star Wars co-stars Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley. On the other hand, it doesn't mean he still doesn't have regrets about that.
With the help of Star Wars, House of Gucci and BlacKkKlansman, Adam Driver's movies have grossed over $2 billion. Fans may be lining up to see the American actor, but it doesn't mean Driver is doing the same. The Girls actor explained on The Howard Stern Show why he can't watch his own movies, and his reasoning makes sense:
Because I saw all the mistakes, the things that I wish I could change, but I can't because it's permanent. I don't want to know how it looks. Plus, I came from a theater background where you don't get to see it.
I feel like I would be my own critic as well, constantly seeing all of the flaws in my performance that I wish I could change. But like Adam Driver said, what's in the final product is out there with no way to call for a do-over. Maybe that's why a lot of great actors become great directors of their own movies; to have that control of doing multiple takes of their own performance.
The Hollywood leading man wouldn't be the only actor to stay away from their own films. Keira Knightley only watches her movies once for the same reason as Adam Driver, in that she only sees the bad in her performance and doesn't like to hear the sound of her voice. Denzel Washington also doesn't rewatch his old movies, feeling he'd rather look forward than back. Driver got real about what movies made him break his vow not to watch himself and see if you can guess which movie:
We did so much work on it afterwards and a lot of ADR, and I was watching. It kind of seemed like maybe I should just try getting over it and maybe that's not the right way to go. And it's Star Wars. I can't really believe that I was in it.
The Star Wars movies truly were a standout time for Adam Driver. His performance as Kylo Ren was so haunting with uncertainty and longing in his eyes. Compared to the 'angry bad guy' stereotype we see in a lot of villains, Driver was able to show that Kylo Ren was a confused and misdirected guy trying to live up to the impossible legacy of Darth Vader. Even with each drastic choice the Sequel Trilogy's antagonist makes, you can't help but feel sorry for him.
Even though Adam Driver was dead set on staying away from seeing his movies, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was clearly the exception. The talented actor said the heartwarming reason he gave the movie a chance was due to seeing it with Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley. However, it doesn't mean he still wasn't his own critic. Since Driver's vow is broken, does that mean he'll continue watching his movies? Here's his honest answer to Howard Stern on why he won't:
You feel like you want to have control and that's not really conducive maybe, to acting.
That's understandable, not to continue watching your own movies due to knowing you have no control over the outcome. Previously, Adam Driver said he's changed the way he watches his own movies by defending his acting choices compared of criticizing them. I feel like that would be the only way to view your movies in trusting that a director knows what works well for their film.
It may have been painful for Adam Driver to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens after vowing not to watch his own works, but at least it's nice he had Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley there to take in the awkward experience. Even if Driver continues to stay away from his films, the legacy he left behind as Kylo Ren will continue to resonate with fans.
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