Joining a major franchise is intimidating, and Adam Driver felt that pressure thirty-fold after joining the cast of Star Wars and doing his first Comic-Con.
Joining any major franchise can be an intimidating experience for actors, something Adam Driver knows all too well. Although Driver appeared in several films and TV series before making his debut as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens turned him into a household name. And he learned what challenges that could pose during his first-ever San Diego Comic-Con.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, Driver recalled the overwhelming experience of attending his first major convention to promote Star Wars. “I didn’t know the rules of Comic-Con,” he said. “I got into a hotel at two in the morning and they’re like, ‘Anything you need?’ I’m like, ‘No, I’m fine. Maybe tomorrow I’ll go get a coffee.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh no, you can’t get a coffee.’ I’m like, ‘Maybe I’ll get a coffee in the hotel.’ They’re like, ‘No, you can’t get a coffee in the hotel. We have some masks in a bag if you want to put a mask on.'”
The only way Driver could leave his hotel room was by donning an Iron Man or Darth Vader mask, not a tempting prospect if you aren’t into cosplay.
With it being common knowledge that the Star Wars cast were staying at one hotel together, there was really no way around all the precautions. And it didn’t help that people were actively drawing attention to them. “I opened my window … and there was a band at the bottom of the building, playing the Star Wars theme on repeat because all staying in the hotel,” Driver remembered. “So it was scary.”
Fortunately for Driver, his roles in projects like The Last Duel and House of Gucci are less likely to necessitate him running around Comic-Con in an Iron Man mask. It’s probably an experience worth trying once, but it doesn’t sound like Driver would willingly embrace it again.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels