Blake Hall
You might know Adam Driver from HBO’s “Girls” or from Hollywood hits like “Lincoln” and “Inside Llewyn Davis.” Star Wars fans may also be anticipating his performance as the villainous Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Military members, however, might know Driver from somewhere else–the Marine Corps.
Driver enlisted in the Marines after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“I was having an argument with my stepfather, and he was like, ‘Why don’t you join the Marine Corps?’ And I was like, ‘Noooo! Well, maybe, actually … ‘” Driver told Rolling Stone last year. “I went and saw the recruiter, who was like, ‘Are you on the run from the cops? Because we’ve never had someone want to leave so fast.’ I was like, ‘I’m going to be a man.’”
He served as an infantry mortarman with the 81st Platoon, Weapons Co. 1st Battalion 1st Marines for two years and achieved the rank of Lance Corporeal. Unfortunately, before Driver could finish his training and embark on his first deployment, a sternum injury ended his military career for good.
In an NPR interview, Driver expressed his regret for not being able to follow through with his deployment.
“You’re trained to do this job for two years with these people, the idea of not going, someone else going in your place or not being there is not really an easy thing to sit with,” Driver said.
Though he was forced to remain on limited duty due to his injuries, Driver found a way to give back to the military community through his acting career. The actor founded a nonprofit called Arts for the Armed Forces that brings professional theatre companies and touring productions to military bases to perform free shows for active-duty troops and veterans.
In the upcoming Star Wars film, Driver plays Kylo Ren, a follower of the Dark Side of the Force who is obsessed with Darth Vader. You can catch a glimpse of his character wielding a light saber in the bombastic trailer below.