Adam Driver discusses Kylo Ren, how his relationship working with J.J. Abrams changed from ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ to now, and more in this interview for ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ with CinemaBlend Events Editor Eric Eisenberg.
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00:00People keep telling me they know me, and no one does.
00:08But I do.
00:13So this being your third time playing Kylo Ren, and also just having the opportunity to work with a different director in Rian Johnson in the making of The Last Jedi,
00:21I'm curious to what extent you felt that you had kind of a certain authority over who Kylo Ren is in the making of this one.
00:29Oh, that's a good question.
00:31There is definitely a point with everything that you have to take ownership over what it is you're doing,
00:35but then not too much to the point that you feel like you have a sense of you know what you're doing,
00:39and you're closing yourself off to a better idea.
00:43So in that sense, I never felt like you have control, which helps, because it's very much a character who is out of control.
00:54Sure, yeah, kind of controlled by his emotions a little bit, yeah.
00:58And also I'm surrounded by people who are good and give you ideas in the moment.
01:04The set is so clear and beautiful, and it's so much information.
01:08The costume is so helpful, and so I got a lot of answers from the things around me.
01:13Sure.
01:14And when you were talking with J.J. Abrams, how did the conversations compare and contrast with what you were talking about on Force Awakens?
01:19Well, there was just a shorthand right away that we didn't have on Force Awakens.
01:24There was no time wasted of, you know, does he like me?
01:27Am I giving him the right thing?
01:29Is this the right, you know?
01:31Right away we started this one with being like, okay, like how – there's no idea that we can leave off the table.
01:38Everything that you're thinking and that I'm thinking we have to say, you know, and try it because we only have this opportunity to do it.
01:46So there was – regardless of what it was.
01:49So there was already an immediacy and, you know, familiar with each other that there was no time wasted.
01:56Sure.
01:57And is there kind of stuff that you personally know about Kylo Ren that maybe isn't seen on the big screen?
02:02Just like that you know for a fact about him?
02:04Yes.
02:05Yeah? Can you tell me anything?
02:06No.
02:07No?
02:08Yeah.
02:09How does that kind of work in your process?
02:10Like how much are you thinking about – like, I mean, there's a kind of blank spot period in between when in the last movie when we saw him have Luke's betrayal
02:17and kind of his journey with Snoke.
02:19So how much did you kind of fill in those gaps for yourself?
02:21You know, we do.
02:23I don't want to shortchange it by saying what they are because I always feel that that's more exciting for an audience to attach meaning.
02:30And in a sense it doesn't really matter what my opinion is.
02:33The effect – it's for an audience to project their own meaning towards.
02:37And luckily we had a script that honors ambiguity that he – they, I should say, Chris and J.J. wrote something that is not always spelled out in the dialogue, which I love.
02:49You know, it's not characters saying exactly what they're feeling.
02:53And again, it's a testament to the – or keeps in the tradition of the original movies.
02:59They're filled with so much ambiguity and moments that I guess literally don't make sense.
03:04But there's an emotional truth about them that makes them – makes an audience, you know, project meaning.
03:13Let the final battle begin.