This surprised me. Adam Driver covers the September issue of GQ. Men’s magazines don’t treat their September issues with the same significance as the fashion mags, but still – September is an important issue and Driver seems like he hasn’t really done enough to warrant such a major cover. Driver is probably best known for his supporting work in Girls, but he was also cast in an unknown role in Star Wars Episode VII. Driver’s also been getting more work in indie films the past few years, so I guess he’s on the rise. Good for him? Sure. Anyway, you can see GQ’s full feature online here. The issue will be out nationally on August 26th. Some highlights from the piece:
Driver on his time in the Marines: “It’s hard to describe. You’re put in these very heightened circumstances, and you learn a lot about who people are at the core, I think. You end up having this very intimate relationship where you would, like, die for these people… It just seemed like a badass thing to do, to go and shoot machine guns and serve your country.”
He was discharged after two years when he broke his sternum: “To not get to go with that group of people I had been training with was…painful.”
Why he went to Julliard: “I wanted a challenge. The Marines 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… I made a lot of people cry.”
His newfound fame: “It’s very nice. But in a way, I don’t feel like I’ve really put in my dues. Like it doesn’t feel earned.”
He thinks talking about acting makes him sound like “a pretentious f–king a—hole.”
His view of the world: “Here’s the thing. Life’s sh–ty, and we’re all gonna die. You have friends, and they die. You have a disease, someone you care about has a disease, Wall Street people are scamming everyone, the poor get poorer, the rich get richer. That’s what we’re surrounded by all the time. We don’t understand why we’re here, no one’s giving us an answer, religion is vague, your parents can’t help because they’re just people, and it’s all terrible, and there’s no meaning to anything. What a terrible thing to process! Every. Day. And then you go to sleep. But then sometimes, things can suspend themselves for like a minute, and then every once in a while there’s something where you find a connection.”
I’m not saying I entirely disagree with Driver’s pessimistic, nihilistic worldview, but I do feel like his pessimism is probably misplaced on a personal level. Everything is coming up roses for him professionally, and he’s the new hot actor. Less angst, more gratitude, you know? As for his would-be career in the Marines… I think I knew about it at some point but forgot. It’s a better/more interesting backstory for an actor than, say, “I was part of The Mickey Mouse Club and I’ve been working in Hollywood since the age of 8,” you know?
Photos courtesy of Paola Kudacki/GQ.
That last paragraph really does make him sound like his character from Girls, lol.
I really do like him, though. His character’s craziness is one of the highlights of Girls. And yeah, we are all going to die one day… but the goal is to try and live a good life and make the best out of the circumstances you were presented with. That’s all you can do.
I think he’s sexy and talented and I love his character in “Girls.” I’m rooting for him!
I watched the first season and his character was complex in a “can’t look away from the accident” type of interesting that lingered. Did they bring him back because I wanted him to dump Leah’s character.
He is so hot…. From some angles…with his hair and fave washed… But no for serious, there is a disarming quality to him
I’ve never seen this guy before in my life but I find his face fascinating.
I really don’t think he was trying to be “doom and gloom” and honestly, I kind of agree with his “nihilistic” outlook on life. You can have gratitude and still see life for what it is–sometimes dark and often times infuriatingly disappointing with glimmers of pure bliss in between. On the contrary, I think that people who are perceived to have a “negative” outlook on life are often more appreciative of the good things.
Honestly, I don’t see how anyone can look at what happened to Michael Brown, the war in Syria, the Palestinian conflict, and so many of life’s atrocities and feel positive about this world.
There’s kind of a young Goldblum-ish thing going on with his features, not a resemblance per se, but a type. Although I think this cover looks more like an illustration more than a photo, but so do most.
YES! Very Goldblum-esque.
I don’t watch Girls, and have never seen or heard of this guy before. But I think he’s interesting. I wonder how many former soldiers have used the GI Bill at Juilliard. He looks interesting, too. Like they took Joseph Gordon Levitt’s face and pulled on his chin to stretch everything from the top of his nose down and then pulled the chin from both sides to stretch out his lips.
I kind of agree with him too. Knowing all the bad exists, it makes me appreciate and value the good so much more. Especially the time I have with “my people”, it’s precious.
I agree totally with your assessment. It probably also helps that I agree with his somewhat nihilistic take on life.
You can acknowledge that life is, on a macro level, meaningless, and things suck and then you die while still being grateful for the good things that come day-to-day and work to improve the systems that shit on some people while rewarding others. It’s the macro versus micro, and I think he probably gets that.
Plus, I already like him, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.
WORD.
YUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
There’s a scene in girls where he’s out running shirtless with those tiny running shorts and he looked mighty sexy! His body is strong, fit and very masculine.
He is in “The F word” movie with Daniel Radcliffe (what is it called in the US?). The promos feature Adam heavily, but it seems like he is playing his “girls” character.
I love him in Girls.Georgeous beautiful, un beautiful face.
I just finished the book This is Where I Leave You. It’s coming out as a movie & he’s playing a character that I would never have chosen him for. Can’t wait to see the movie and see if he pulls it off.
Def recommend the book.
I am REALLY looking forward to seeing it. Love pretty much everyone in the cast.
It’ll probably get a tiny limited release here in Ireland 🙁
I sort of get where he’s coming from to a point but if he really feels this way then why bother doing anything? I’m not sure I get his full meaning, like is he saying we are just existing in the shit in between those every once in a while moments where we make a connection? Is he saying those moments are worth it or not?
*scratches head*
His view of life makes me want to slap him. I know he’s entitled to it, but what a waste of space. Life can be challenging, heartbreaking, disappointing and cruel, but it is often beautiful and uplifting, and you can and should find inspiration in nature or courage or humor or love in other people every day if you’re really looking. Laughter is glorious. Babies and puppies and flowers and the smell of freshly cut grass. Bare feet. That smell before it rains. Meeting someone’s needs. Fixing something by yourself. A good book. Brownies. Wine. I don’t see the point in living a life you don’t appreciate.
I don’t think he’s saying he’s not appreciating life, but that the world is indeed a cruel place ( as someone mentioned, look at the things happening in Gaza), but sometimes you have those moments of clarity when you realise that life can be beautiful and it is worth living.
But he didn’t say that.
I don’t see his view as pessimistic. The very fact that as humans we are all, eventually, doomed can actually serve to make us far more appreciative of how nice the world really is. If you believed you would go on forever, you’d have no impetus to really DO anything, because there would always be time tomorrow. How do you know the good things are, well, good? You know something is good because you relate it back to the times when you know you did not have it, and you know somewhere that those times will come again. It creates appreciation.
I don’t think a realistic outlook on the world should ever be construed as pessisim. Real pessisim is an abject refusal to see good in the world even when it actually is present. Nothing in his statements really get at that.
But he didn’t say that, either.
But I think you over-read him pretty severely. He never says what you’re alleging. He seems to acknowledge that in the end, we’re all going to wind up the same way, and that before that happens, most of us endure at least some miserable stuff and all of us will experience loss. You say he doesn’t appreciate his own life, but that’s a pretty extreme overreach. He actually seems to be suggesting that the largely bleak nature of life is what makes the good times actually, well, good. You’re arguing against my points but you haven’t cited any evidence that supports your own. Personally, your argument would be stronger if you started there.
Thanks, Sam. My response below includes you and Spooky Spooks. I guess I’m just misunderstanding his meaning. It seems to me that someone who says life is meaningless and shitty is not experiencing a full life. I don’t hear the part where he says that helps him appreciate the good things, although I understand the sentiment you express. I’ve had a lot of sorrow in my life, and I think that has helped me to appreciate the gift of every day life. I just don’t see where he says that. I’m not saying you’re wrong, I just don’t get that from what he says in this little snippet. But I’m trying, since several people I respect are telling me the same thing, which is that I’m not getting it.
I can respect your viewpoint, certainly. To me, I think part of his view might be colored by his life. Let’s face it, when he was in the military, he was part of an organization that was training, largely, to go to war. I’m sure being part of that makes one ruminate somewhat on the bleaker aspects of life. I’ve known a lot of people who have come out of the military far less “optimistic” than they went in. Many of them have seen some pretty depressing things – even those who never saw war. Once you’ve experienced that stuff, it can often be harder to find the beauty in the “small stuff” and maybe that’s what he’s getting at. I try to keep in mind that the ability to enjoy things is often a privilege, because the ability to enjoy them is a sign that your mind is not currently being overburdened by bad things.
I also sort of wonder if he’s addressing the old belief that the bleakness of life generally is what makes it beautiful, but that’s a very old idea that’s been around for centuries.
Hey, I thought I’d jump in because I think I, to some degree, share this guy’s view. From your interpretation it sounds like you think he does not appreciate the nice, little things that life has to offer. But in fact he ends with the positive, “But then sometimes, things can suspend themselves for like a minute, and then every once in a while there’s something where you find a connection.” If you are so positive, why did you miss that? I don’t mean to snark, really I don’t. I’m just making the point. I would argue that this kind of dysphoric view can help you to find beauty, rather than obscure it.
His words suggest that by repeatedly reminding himself of the central role of death in defining life, he manages to create a buffer that minimize the horrors that he sees. And you don’t have to be a debbie downer to see the crap – if you look around you will see loads of suffering and injustice. If you focus on death the way he does, you can make all the suffering, all the bickering, all the pettiness seem smaller. After all, it, too, will die. At the same time, this kind of perspective can actually allow you to become surprised by the good things, to notice them, and to try to fight for whatever good you can manage. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate the little things, in fact he may. From his words though, I think his attention is pulled most by the way people treat each other in life. Smells and colors – these things probably can be nice for him, but, in the end, I think nothing matters to him as much as how we treat each other. I dunno, I pretty much agree. In such a world, kindness and creation are beauty, and the inescapable selfishness of survival which is thrust upon us all is what is ugly. I tend to think he’s right on.
First of all, I didn’t say I was “so positive.” And I didn’t miss the part where he said life is occasionally more than blackness and death. i just didn’t read the extra four inches of meaning into it that you did. If he had said what YOU said, I wouldn’t have come away feeling that he was unappreciative. But he didn’t. He said it’s all shitty, it’s all terrible it’s all meaningless. But every once in awhile, you can suspend this for “like a minute.” He didn’t say anything about buffers, or about how we treat each other, or the creative process or even other humans. You put those words in his mouth, and I can see how you think and how you find beauty. But that’s not what he said, and what he said is all I have to go by.
Reading more about him, it seems that he was raised by strict and devout Baptist parents whom he is now estranged from.
I think there’s a level of disillusionment behind his words here. I think that may be what he’s expressing…..
Well, I can see by all of your thoughtful comments that I must be missing something. I was taking his words at face value and you all seem to know more about him and how he thinks. Thank you for trying to help me see it, too, politely and thoughtfully. I’m afraid I still don’t see it, but if I’ve learned one thing in life it’s that I have much more to learn.
I think you’re just reacting to the very brash way in which he expresses himself because I honestly think he was sort of echoing what you said here: “Life can be challenging, heartbreaking, disappointing and cruel, but it is often beautiful and uplifting,”
So what I’m saying is, you two should date.
It is kind of like the Flaming Lips song. It is both harsh and incredibly beautiful in its brutal honesty. (So beautiful they use it for car commercials).
Do You Realize Lyrics:
Do You Realize – that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize – we’re floating in space –
Do You Realize – that happiness makes you cry
Do You Realize – that everyone you know someday will die
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes – let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It’s hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn’t go down
It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning round
Do You Realize – Oh – Oh – Oh
Do You Realize – that everyone you know
Someday will die –
They should totally date! Then they can do that rom-com thing where they passionately argue and it leads to sex. 😉
Lol. He might disagree with you after he tries to explain himself to me five hundred ways and I still don’t get it.
Just because he’s not saying the things YOU want to hear and what YOU want him to say doesn’t mean that he doesn’t appreciate his life.
Honestly… people on this site will read something a celebrity says in an interview and automatically think that they know who they are and what they think all of the time. Like they personally know them and s#$%. It’s ridiculous.
He said life was shitty, meaningless, terrible and then you die. I find that negative. Sorry you don’t agree. No, actually, I’m not sorry. I couldn’t care less what you think. You’re hostile, rude and putting words in my mouth. If you can’t be civil, don’t comment on my posts. Everyone else here managed to disagree politely and respectfully even though they disagreed completely with what I said. I even think I must be missing something and am trying to learn from them. But your response doesn’t promote anything but more misunderstanding and hostility. I never said I knew him or what he thinks. I’m just reacting to what HE SAID he thinks. You’re the one who’s ridiculous.
@ Geemoney-People make a LOT of assumptions about celebrities in this forum, a LOT. If we didn’t talk about them with certitude, as if we know them, then celeb gossip would cease to exist, or at least it would be a helluva lot less fun.
@GNAT
It is always refreshing to read someone rebutting someone else with civility.
I enjoy seeing that in life. I think it is called having class.
@GeeMoney – didn’t you just do what you basically accused GNAT of doing?
This so much. People who complain about everything make me furious and I think there is nothing more disgusting in this universe than glorifying military forces. My dad’s family went through tortures that you couldn’t even imagine in hands of the military and my grandparents and uncles are the most grateful and nice people I know. Knowing people like them and comparing them to this idiot makes me fume. Sorry, but most people I know with this outlook on life are rich kids who’ve had stupidly easy lives who complain a lot about sh*t without doing anything (besides a fb status) to help, when they actually could.
This is the first time I’ve read anything about him and perhaps I’ve read this wrong and/or assumed unture things about him, but those 2 traits he seemed to display here are things I can’t forgive easily.
EDIT: Apparently plenty of people here share this PoV, so sorry about the assumption of ya’ll being rich kids. But the way you’ve expressed your outlook on life seems different from what he said here. You guys seem to appreciate life. I didn’t get that impression at all from this dude.
He must have fit right in on the girls set with that last paragraph. That’s kind of a turn off. And no, talking about acting doesn’t make you seem pretentious; it’s your job. False humility makes you look pretentious. Not sure about this one.
I actually quite agree with his worldview.
He comes across very well in the article.
Me too, Spooks. I know he’s a stranger but I feel like he’s someone that I’d get along with.
In line, too. I don’t consider myself a pessimist at all, I’m just a realist. And I have many, many moments of gratitude, beauty, awe in my life. Plus lots of love.
I agree. he is realistic about life. after i came around to the same viewpoint, i started appreciating the good things that much more.
He is hot! This makes me wonder if his character om Girls somewhat inspired by how he is irl!
He is the only reason I watch Girls. Yummy.
They tried to make him less ugly, but just turned him into Andrew Keegan (remember him)?
Sometimes I like to image a woman with the female equivalent of his face getting cast in all sorts of huge blockbusters and I just laugh because it would never ever happen. She wouldn’t even be allowed to live in Hollywood.
We live in a world where Benedict Cumberbatch is a sex symbol. Can you imagine that happening with a female version of him? I think part of the reason is that men and women find different things attractive.
Oh obviously women are far less shallow, but I can still be outraged about it, lol. Especially since his character in Girls disgusts me.
@ Jen
I just think some women get tired of getting treated like crap by really good looking guys.
I think we ,women, suck at seeing a guy as a sex symbol. Like a man can look at Megan Fox and say “Fuck it , she is dumb as a box of rocks but she is still hot”. We most of the time can’t do that and fall for the character in the end, hence Cumberbatch. But we are getting there ladies. Chris Hemsworth is bland as it gets and we still drool over him. That is something.
Am I the only one who came here to comment on how unbelievably airbrushed he looks here? As in, he actually looks semi-attractive for once?
Amazing what Photoshop can do.
Yeah, I had no idea who this guy was so I googled him and lets just say that the GQ cover is far *ahem* kinder to his looks than most of the more candid images that popped up. I might get yelled at for this, but my first thought was that he looked like the product of consanguineous relations…
I don’t feel too bad though, anyone who thinks firing machine guns AT PEOPLE (the part he failed to mention) is “badass” loses pretty much all the points in my book.
I just loved that last paragraph. He’s kind of fascinating.
I’m not even trying to be mean, I have no clue who this dude is but my 1st thought when I saw the header and cover was,’ why would GQ use a carricature on its cover?’ #runsforcover
I think it is because I have such a deep dislike for his character on Girls, that I just can’t with him. He was in Rolling Stone a while back and his world view is nothing new. He just doesn’t come across as a naturally happy person and it sounds like he is not close to his family either. I am sure his time in the Marines and if he served in any wars was not pleasant, so I bet that did not help either.
But professionally, the world is his oyster. He’s in everything and I just don’t see where his talent and looks stand out so much above other people. I would think he’d have a little more positive outlook on life.
that’s what I was thinking – was this poor guy’s cover unfortunately warped in print or something?
In the new Star Wars movie he is playing the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia. I find the casting to be intriguing.
He looks more like Jar Jar Binks to me.
I find him fascinating. Not in an ‘I want to bang him way’ but just, I think I’d enjoy hanging out with him. The few episodes of Girls I watched, he’s the one that held my attention. And I totally get what he was trying to say in his last answer.
I’ve never seen this guy before – is that his real face on the cover or was it distorted?
He was the best part of Girls in my opinion. His body is fantastic!
I agree. He has a way of just cutting through the bs, and being super “real”. I had no idea he was a Marine. Very intriguing!
I agree with his worldview. Everyone I know feels the same way about the world and about life.
His face is scaring me.
His face is what happens when you smash Jeff Goldblum and Richard Gere…and the result is all good.
He is interesting, talented and sexy in an ugly beautiful way. Please post more about him.