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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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — At least 90 people were injured in Argentina's capital when a passenger train struck an empty boxcar on the tracks and derailed Friday, authorities said, a rare collision that fueled questions about basic safety.
The train was on its way from Buenos Aires to the northern suburbs when it derailed around 10:30 a.m. on a bridge in the trendy neighborhood of Palermo, safety officials said.
While it was not immediately clear why the idled boxcar had been on the bridge, Argentina's railway union said several meters (yards) of copper cable used to carry power along the tracks had been stolen from the railway, disabling the signaling system intended to prevent such accidents.
Union leaders fiercely opposed to libertarian President Javier Milei's economic austerity blamed the government for its failure to invest in public infrastructure.
“We have been demanding for 10 days that the stolen signaling cables be repaired," rail union leader Omar Maturano told the country's independent Radio Con Vos station. “The government said there was no money for spare parts.”
Prosecutors said they were investigating.
“There is not enough information about the mechanics of this accident,” Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri said from the crash site where he praised the swift evacuation of victims.
Dozens of injured were treated at the scene and 30 people taken to hospitals in moderate to serious condition, at least two by helicopter with chest trauma and broken bones.
Alberto Crescenti, director of the city's emergency service, said rescuers with police dogs had helped 90 people trapped in the derailed train, lowering some by rope from the highway overpass scattered with twisted metal and shattered glass.
Dazed passengers staggering out of the derailed boxcars told local media the train had stopped on the bridge for several minutes before starting up again and slamming violently into the other train, jolting passengers and veering off the rails in a jumble of sparks and smoke.
Officials at the Argentine rail authority, Trenes Argentinos, said service on the popular rail line had been suspended, complicating travel for many commuters.
The collision brought increased scrutiny to rail safety in Argentina, where a string of train crashes from 2012-2014 left over 50 people dead and hundreds injured. It emerged at the time that outdated infrastructure, delays and human error had left the railway system vulnerable to crashes, prompting the government to invest in new safety and braking systems.
With Argentina's economy spiraling and anti-government protests gripping the streets, the crash quickly spawned contradictory narratives, with both government officials and leftist union leaders using the incident to further their agendas.
“The rail company has been totally degraded because there's no budget," said Maturano, from the rail union.
President Milei reposted comments on social media blaming his left-leaning predecessors for neglecting public infrastructure and running up a massive budget deficit.
In the midst of Argentina's worst economic crisis in two decades, police have repeatedly reported would-be cable thieves being electrocuted in the act. Those who succeed wreak havoc on the rail system in stealing metal to sell to scrapyards, where local media says the going rate is about $7 a kilogram ($3.18 a pound).
The Argentine website Infobae in February called copper cable theft “a trendy crime for the crisis.”
Police tape off the site after a passenger train collision in the Palermo area of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A paramedic transports an injured commuter after two trains collided in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Railway workers inspect a passenger train after it collided with another in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Franco Dergarabedian)
Railway workers inspect a passenger train after it collided with another in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A police officer talks to a commuter who was injured when two trains collided in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A train wagon that collided with another stands on the rails in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Paramedics transport injured commuters after two trains collided in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
