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How Star Wars actors’ careers have changed through the decades

By Molly Catherine Turner

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 16: (L-R) Actors Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Carrie Fisher speak onstage during Star Wars Celebration 2015 on April 16, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 16: (L-R) Actors Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Carrie Fisher speak onstage during Star Wars Celebration 2015 on April 16, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) /
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TOKYO, JAPAN – DECEMBER 10: Adam Driver attends the ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ fan event at the Roppongi Hills on December 10, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios)
TOKYO, JAPAN – DECEMBER 10: Adam Driver attends the ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ fan event at the Roppongi Hills on December 10, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios) /

8. Adam Driver

Filling Darth Vader’s boots was not an easy role, but someone had to do it. As the moody and unpredictable Kylo Ren, Adam Driver gained a new legion of fans and launched a career for himself as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors.

Before his casting in The Force Awakens, Driver had a steady career in film and television, most notably on Girls and in Inside Llewyn Davis alongside fellow Star Wars actor Oscar Issac. As Kylo Ren, Driver’s physicality and Marlon Brando-esque screen presence brought the Star Wars villain into the modern era.

Driver’s chemistry with co-star Daisy Ridley led to some of the franchise’s most charged and electric lightsaber fights and scenes (as well as some controversial shipping within the fandom), cementing Kylo Ren as an emotionally complex character battling with his own inner demons.

Since Star Wars, Driver’s career has further taken off as he’s continued to pursue unique roles in character-driven films that are specifically on-brand for his persona, including Logan Lucky, BlacKkKlansman, and Marriage Story.

Driver has become known for his skilled performances, unique delivery, and captivating physicality. He currently has five films in various states of production, including the highly anticipated House of Gucci alongside co-star Lady Gaga.

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