Adam Driver Had The Best Response After He Was Asked About Playing Italians Twice In Recent Movies

Adam Driver may have starred in two high-profile biopics about Italian men in recent years, but the actor is making it clear it's not an observation that he "gives a sh*t" about.

Adam was a guest of the Jan. 1 episode of the Smartless podcast, which is hosted by fellow actors Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Jason Bateman.

During their interview, Will noted that Adam recently starred in two biopics about "very significant" Italian men: House of Gucci in 2021 and Ferrari in December of last year.

In House of Gucci, Adam played the late Maurizio Gucci, who was once chairman of the Gucci brand.

In Ferrari, which was released in the US on Dec. 25, Adam played Enzo Ferrari, who founded the eponymous car company.

In response to Will's observation, Adam jokingly noted it's "a good example of not being strategic in a way that I probably should."

"So many people have been like, 'How many [Italians]?' I'm like, 'It's just kind of worked out that way.' I think someone probably should have said, maybe, 'cause it's going to come up a lot,'" he continued.

The actor noted his focus on both films was to work with the acclaimed directors, whom he called "some of the best" filmmakers. House of Gucci was directed by Ridley Scott, who is well-known for films like Alien, Gladiator, and Blade Runner. Likewise, Ferrari was directed by Michael Mann, whose previous films include The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, and Ali.

"Who gives a sh*t that there's two Italians back to back?" Adam said.

After Will noted that the actor would likely make "10 [movies] in a row" with great filmmakers directing great stories, Adam added, "Ya, well, probably not Italians anymore though because I'm surprised how much it comes up. You know, it's like '[Do] you have a thing?'"

"I'm like, 'It's two. It's two Italians. It's just two,'" he said. "[The podcast] is, but press isn't, a place that you have a nuanced conversation. That seems like a hard idea of like 'Well, what is it with Italy?' Well, I mean, it's less to do with Italy — although I like it — but it's more about Ridley Scott and Michael Mann and the projects themselves."

"Italy is not the first thing on my mind," he continued.

Much to Adam's point, it's definitely worth noting that the actor didn't actually star in the two films "back to back." Instead, he starred in two other films between the releases of House of Gucci and Ferrari. In 2022, he appeared in White Noise, which was set in 1980s Ohio.

And in March of last year, Adam appeared in 65, which was set in the prehistoric Mesozoic era.