The Truth About Adam Driver's Time In The Military

Adam Driver has become one of the most recognizable Hollywood actors in this day and age. From his roles as Kylo Ren in the "Star Wars" franchise to playing Maurizio Gucci in "House of Gucci," he has made quite a mark on-screen. But long before becoming a famous actor, Driver spent time as a marine.

Driver initially had no idea that his life would lead him to serve his country. He grew up in Mishawaka, Indiana, and began pursuing acting during his days in high school. Filled with confidence, Driver applied to Julliard, a.k.a. one of the most prestigious performing art schools anyone could ever attend. But while he may have had high hopes, they were crushed when he was rejected from the school. Following his rejection, he worked different jobs, but his life changed in 2001. 

After witnessing the 9/11 attacks, Driver was motivated to enlist in the military. Driver revealed to The New Yorker that he decided to join the Marines because of the tragic event. He shared, "It wasn't against Muslims. It was: We were attacked. I want to fight for my country against whoever that is." The Marines are seen as one of the toughest branches of the military, and the challenge excited the actor. Not long after enlisting, Driver began his training, and being in the military was anything but easy.

Throughout the years, Adam Driver has been vocal about how becoming a Marine was one of his best decisions. He shared with CNBC, "I loved being a Marine. It's one of the things I'm most proud of having done in my life." There was a reason why the "Star Wars" actor took such pride in his service: being a Marine is no easy feat. Driver had to face some grueling training, which was much tougher than many might think. When speaking with The New Yorker in 2019, he spilled the details of the challenging situations he had to face during his training, both physically and emotionally. 

Driver revealed he and a friend were dubbed "Ears No. 1" and "Ears No. 2." because of their large ears. Not only that, but he had gone months without speaking to family, which took an emotional toll on the actor. As for physical challenges, the "House of Gucci" star recalled the moment when he and a fellow trainee had to strike a nerve on one another's thighs until it lost feeling. He said, "That's kind of what the Marine Corps is like. They'll just keep hitting it until it's numb. Until you conform." His time in training wasn't easy, but his goal was to get out on the battlefield eventually. However, that time would never come.

Adam Driver trained for years to become a Marine, and when his time finally came, it didn't last long. Two years and eight months after training and serving his country, the "Star Wars" actor fractured his sternum during a mountain biking incident, per the U.S. Department of Defense. Unfortunately for Driver, this meant he had to be medically discharged, but he still received the title of lance corporal.

Coming to terms with the fact that his time in the Marines was ending was difficult for Driver. He told "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross (via U.S. Department of Defense), "It was pretty devastating. It took me a long time to get over it. ... It's really about the people, this small, intimate group of people that you are lucky enough to get to serve with," he continued, "Then, not going because you hurt yourself was pretty embarrassing and terrible."

Following his release, Driver needed a challenge and chose to attempt to enter Juilliard again. In an interview with GQ, he compared the difficulty of getting into Juilliard to the Marines. He explained, "The Marine Corps is supposed to be the toughest and most rigorous of its class. Obviously, the stakes are different. You have the risk of getting shot or killed in one and just embarrassed in the other. I thought, 'This will be easy.'" After sending in his application, he discovered he had been accepted. From that moment on, Driver's life changed forever.