Adam Driver has played two of Italy’s most famous figures in the last two years, and he’s sick of people in the press asking him about it.
Speaking with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes on their “Smartless” podcast Monday, the Oscar-nominated actor insisted that he was drawn to playing Maurizio Gucci in 2021’s “House of Gucci” and Enzo Ferrari in this year’s “Ferrari” because of the pedigree of filmmakers Ridley Scott and Michael Mann, not the opportunity to don another accent from the home country.
“Who gives a s–t that it was two Italians back to back?” he quipped.
The line of Italian-role questioning during the podcast’s wide-ranging conversation came just after Driver explained that he hasn’t been very strategic in his acting career — one that’s seen him break out on Lena Dunham’s “Girls,” star in the rebooted “Star Wars” and garner awards recognition aplenty while working with the industry’s biggest talents.
He humorously noted that playing Gucci and Ferrari in quick succession was “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,” Driver said, adding that someone from his team should maybe have warned him that “it’s going to come up a lot.” “But I’m like, you know, it’s Ridley and it’s Michael and they’re in my mind some of the best filmmakers. Who gives a s–t that it was two Italians back to back?”
Driver joked that he’s “probably” done playing Italians now that the press cycle for “Ferrari” has shown just how many people think he has a “thing” for doing it.
“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,” Driver said.
The actor additionally lamented that “press isn’t a place where you have a nuanced conversation” once a pattern like that is spotted.
“That seems like a hard idea. Like, ‘What is it with Italy?’” he continued. “I mean, it’s less to do with Italy, although I like it. It’s more about Ridley Scott and Michael Mann and the projects themselves. Italy is not the first thing on my mind.”
“Right,” Arnett said. “You’re not calling your agents like, ‘Hey, give me another great Italian role to play.’”
That led to Driver teasing the next “great Italian role” that may be too good to pass up: “[Gaspare] Campari, I hear, is not done!”
Listen to the full episode of “Smartless” here.
