Adam Driver doesn't care if you think negatively of him portraying two Italian men in back-to-back biopics.
The San Diego-born actor was a recent guest on the SmartLess podcast hosted by fellow television and film stars Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, where he was asked about taking on the roles of Italian men. Driver played former Gucci fashion head Maurizio Gucci in the Ridley Scott-directed 2021 film House of Gucci and Ferrari founder and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari in last year's Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann.
The topic was brought up around the 34-minute mark below, and Driver admitted that he's been asked about how many other Italian characters he plans to take on, and was forewarned that the question would "come up a lot." Driver also joked that the roles were "a good example of not being strategic in a way that I probably should" regarding his filmography.
“But I’m like, you know, it’s Ridley and it’s Michael and they’re in my mind some of the best filmmakers," Driver said. "Who gives a shit that it was two Italians back to back?”
He added, "I’m surprised how much it comes up. It’s like, ‘You have a thing,’ and I’m like, ‘It’s two! It’s two Italians!’ It’s just two. The press isn’t a place where you have a nuanced conversation.”
“That seems like a hard idea. Like, ‘What is it with Italy?’ I mean, it’s less to do with Italy, although I like it," Driver continued. It’s more about Ridley Scott and Michael Mann and the projects themselves. Italy is not the first thing on my mind.”
Driver's Ferrari press tour has been filled with moments of the actor giving memorable responses to random questions. Last month, he kept it poised when rudely asked about his "look" by CNN broadcaster Chris Wallace, but in November, he gave a giant "fuck you" to an audience member during a Ferrari Q&A, who asked him a haphazard question about "cheesy" crash scenes.
