Did You Know This Star Wars Actor Went to High School in Indiana?

The Star Wars franchise has featured many talented individuals in prominent roles, including one with Hoosier roots.

One of the galaxy’s most menacing villains turned heroes spent several years living in Indiana before hitting the big screen. Of course, in addition to Star Wars, this actor has appeared in numerous other films, including Marriage Story (2019), The Last Duel (2021), and Ferrari (2023). He’s one of my favorites and likely someone you’re already familiar with. The actor we’re talking about is none other than Adam Driver, aka Kylo Ren.

Adam Driver Grew Up in Northern Indiana

According to IMDb, Adam Douglas Driver was born in San Diego, California, in 1983. His mother is from Mishawaka, Indiana, where Driver was raised after his parents divorced when he was around six years old. He attended Mishawaka High School, where he became interested in the performing arts and appeared in numerous plays. He went on to attend the University of Indianapolis before transferring to the Juilliard School in New York City to study drama.

Adam Driver Joined the Marines After 9/11

Before heading off to college, Driver served two years in the United States Marine Corps. Like many Americans at the time, he enlisted following the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. However, his military career was short-lived, as he was medically discharged in 2004 after suffering a mountain bike accident. Driver has gone on record saying he might very well still be there if it hadn’t been for the accident.

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My Favorite Adam Driver Movie Isn't Star Wars

After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in drama from The Juilliard School in 2009, Driver went on to land several roles, including that of Kylo Ren, the main antagonist in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. However, my personal favorite film starring Driver is Logan Lucky (2017), where he shares the screen with Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, and Daniel Craig.

Logan Lucky Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Logan Lucky follows the story of West Virginia family man Jimmy Logan (Tatum), who teams up with his one-armed brother Clyde (Driver) and sister Mellie (Keough) to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. It’s a hilarious film that even earned a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I’ve enjoyed several other films Driver has done outside of Star Wars as well—all of which are worth checking out for yourself.