Adam Driver on Playing Two Italians: “Who Gives a S–t?”

Adam Driver.
Photo: JC Olivera/FilmMagic

Adam Driver has played two famous Italians in the past two-ish years, adding up to a grand total of playing… two Italians. This matters because hosts Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes wonder why he’s taken so many Italian roles in a recent interview on their Smartless podcast. Currently, Driver is playing Enzo Ferrari in the eponymous film Michael Mann film. In 2021, he played Maurizio Gucci in House of Gucci. “I guess that’s a good example of not being strategic in a way that I probably should,” Driver said, because, apparently, everyone keeps asking him about it. “So many people are like how many Italians — it just kind of worked out that way,” adding that he wished someone from his team could’ve mentioned that “it’s going to come up a lot.” The real reason he took such a plethora of Italian roles (again, two) has to do with who he’s working with. “Well, it’s Ridley and it’s Michael and, in my mind, they’re some of the best filmmakers,” he explained. “Who gives a shit that it was two Italians back to back?…Oh, you have a thing. Like, it’s two!”

Well, don’t let them stop you from having a good time — we could all use another stab at Italian Adam Driver. “Campari, I hear, is not done,” he jokingly suggested. Yes, follow the rule of thirds.