Adam Driver credits the military for the courage to act

Adam Driver was home alone doing the dishes when his agent called with the news that he'd just received a Tony Award nomination. But since his wife was out of town, there was no one to share the news. So he just finished the dishes.

Driver got the nod for his work in a new revival of Lanford Wilson's play "Burn This." It's Driver's first Tony nod and his third show on Broadway.

Over the past decade, Driver has amassed an impressive acting career, with accolades ranging from his work on the HBO series "Girls" to his more recent Oscar nomination for "BlacKkKlansman." And coming up, it's his last turn as Kylo Ren as the "Star Wars" saga comes to an end.

This image released by Polk & Co. shows Adam Driver during a performance of the play "Burn This," in New York. (Matthew MurphyPolk & Co. via AP)

While the roles are diverse, the foundation for Driver's success centers on his military service. Born in San Diego but raised in the small town of Mishawaka, Indiana, Driver joined the Marines shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks and credits his time in the service for providing him the courage he needed to become an actor.

"It didn't seem like a realistic job where I was from, and there wasn't really a lot of opportunities. But the military kind of stripped you away from — I think, even if it is an illusion — being scared of the civilian world," Driver said.

His time in the service helped tear down some of the inhibitions he faced when pursuing an acting career, including relocating to New York. He told himself that if it didn't work out, he'd be OK on the streets.

This image released by Polk & Co. shows Adam Driver, left, and Keri Russell during a performance of the play "Burn This," in New York. (Matthew MurphyPolk & Co. via AP)

"You have that kind of like survival mentality in the military. It gives you a lot of confidence going back out into the world," Driver said.

Not long after his kicking off his acting career, Driver took action to help his fellow military veterans with his charity, Arts in the Armed Forces . The organization is dedicated to providing arts programming for active duty service members, veterans, military support staff and their families.

Those are all segments of the population that are important to him and he hates any perception that military personnel won't understand theater.

"If anything, theater in New York can get a little bit like recycled air. And it's amazing how much you take it outside of New York, the language becomes a weapon in a way to different communities," Driver said.

Theater, he added, "can help you articulate a feeling in a way that you didn't have the language for before. And what better community to share that with than the military?"

As for his performance in "Burn This ," tackling a Lanford Wilson play is no easy task, made more difficult with a limited rehearsal period. In the revival of the 1987 play about a group of friends and family coping with a tragedy, Driver stars opposite Keri Russell.

"We only had like three weeks, so to be patient and trust that it would come together eventually was really difficult," Driver said.

He thrives on the play being so complex. "I love the potential that it could be a disaster at any minute," Driver said.

And it's that challenge that keeps him interested. "You have eight shows a week to try to keep exploring. I love that part of it," Driver said.

He also loved being part of the "Star Wars" saga, but politely remained tight-lipped about any plot points: "That's just the part where I'll trail off and not answer," Driver said before heading to the theater for his matinee.

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft.

The Houthis said they shot down the Predator with a surface-to-air missile, part of a renewed series of assaults this week by the rebels after a relative lull in their pressure campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defense Department spokesperson, acknowledged to The Associated Press on Saturday that “a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen.” He said an investigation was underway, without elaborating.

The Houthis described the downing as happening Thursday over their stronghold in the country's Saada province.

Footage released by the Houthis included what they described as the missile launch targeting the drone, with a man off-camera reciting the Houthi's slogan after it was hit: “God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam.”

The footage included several close-ups on parts of the drone that included the logo of General Atomics, which manufactures the drone, and serial numbers corresponding with known parts made by the company.

Since the Houthis seized the country’s north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones to the rebels counting Thursday's shootdown — in 2017, 2019, 2023 and this year.

Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land.

The drone shootdown comes as the Houthis launch attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sank another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.

Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. American officials have speculated that the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the U.S.-led campaign against them and after firing drones and missiles steadily in the last months. However, the rebels have renewed their attacks in the last week.

A Houthi supporter raises a mock rocket during a rally against the U.S. and Israel and to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, April. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)