Actor Adam Pilote he is notorious for not liking watching himself on screen. He may have attended the Cannes Film Festival to promote James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” but he slipped away after walking the red carpet with his wife, Joanne Tucker. Fortunately, he was there when the lights came back on to witness the film’s ten-minute standing ovation. While speaking with the director about the film, the “Star Wars” actor revealed that he only saw one film at Cannes for a heartbreaking reason.
Adam Driver opens up his ‘system’ to sneak into movie premieres
This past Saturday, the “Marriage Story” actor attended the Cannes Film Festival premiere of his film “Paper Tiger,” which also stars Miles Teller And Scarlett Johansson. After walking the red carpet with his wife, he sat and waited for the movie to start before slipping away.
“I can’t stand to look at myself,” Driver told Variety. “I have a whole system where I wait for everything to start, and I go through these mazes to a room that overlooks all these boats. And then I sneak inside and try not to be loud so I can be there when the lights come on.”
Fans of the actor know he doesn’t like watching his own films, but there was a Cannes premiere he watched to support a friend.
The Only Cannes Film Preview The Driver Watched
Although he doesn’t like watching himself act, the “Paterson” actor attended the premiere of the film “Megalopolis” in 2024 to support director Francis Ford Coppola, after his wife, Eleanor, had just passed away.
Although “Paper Tiger” is his eighth film at the festival, Driver says he’s still anxious. “I had a few [of] drinks just to calm down. “But I can’t go too far because sometimes you come back and you don’t fit the vibe of a movie,” Driver admitted. “Sometimes people cry and you say, ‘Hey everyone!'”
Fortunately, Driver and the rest of the cast received rave reviews for their performances, with one critic saying the “65 Years Old” actor delivered a “career-best performance” in the role.
James Gray wrote this part for Adam Driver
In the interview with VarietyGray revealed that he actually wrote this part with Driver specifically in mind. “I wrote that part for him,” Gray explained. “It’s very rare to find an actor who can convey vulnerability and danger. These are the two most valuable possessions for a director.”
“I can only think of one performance in the history of cinema where there’s no danger, and it’s great,” he continued. “And it’s Jeff Bridges as the guy in ‘Big Lebowski.’ Everything else has some sort of underlying threat.
Adam Driver revealed he was a fan of James Gray’s work
Driver has worked with renowned directors over the years, but he was particularly excited to work with Gray. “He tells these really intimate stories where there’s always an amazing cinematic sequence,” Driver said. “But it’s still ingrained in character.”
They met frequently at Driver’s in New York to perfect the script in the months leading up to production.
“If I don’t understand a role, then it’s hard to play it,” Driver explained. “And the biggest enemy of a film is time. We’ve had formal rehearsals, but anything you can do in advance to deepen the characters is very important, so you don’t waste time on set debating everything.”
Adam Driver admits he loves ‘the scope’ of big films like ‘Star Wars’
Although he got his start in the HBO comedy “Girls,” Driver became a household name after playing the role of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. Although he tends to lean towards independent films, he admitted that he likes “the scope” of big films.
“I love the scale of these big films and I love their scope,” Driver said. “I’m more naturally drawn to smaller films. The pace is completely different. It’s a little faster. I don’t mind having to do something technical.”
“I feel like that was the only debate we would have on set, with James apologizing in advance for something complicated,” he continued. “And I’m like, ‘I understand there’s an artificiality here. I realize this isn’t real.'”