Adam Driver Defends His Right to Play Two Famous Italians: “Who Gives a “S–t?”

In his review of Ferrari, Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson points out that, like Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, Michael Mann’s latest is a “heavily accented film about a great Italian house of industry.” Adam Driver plays titular titans of business in both movies, as Maurizio Gucci and Enzo Ferrari. That said, Driver would like the world to stop fixating on the characters’ similarities, the actor recently said on the SmartLess podcast.

Taking these roles one after the other is “a good example of not being strategic in a way that I probably should” in his career, Driver told hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. “So many people have been like, ‘How many Italians… ?’ I’m like, it’s just kind of worked out that way. 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 shit that it was two Italians back to back?”

The Oscar-nominated performer said that he’s unlikely to play another Italian man after all of the conversation surrounding his dual performances. “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!’” Driver said. “It’s just two. The press isn’t a place where you have a nuanced conversation.”

He added, “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. It’s more about Ridley Scott and Michael Mann and the projects themselves. Italy is not the first thing on my mind.”

Driver’s candid response comes on the heels of a headline-making press tour for Ferrari during which he fielded inquiries about whether not looking “like the typical movie star” negatively impacted his career and replied to criticism that Ferrari’s crash scenes are “cheesy” with “Fuck you, I don’t know. Next question.”