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An actor Adam Driver participate in a special SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations event on October 27, 2026, to discuss his work in James Gray’s crime thriller “Paper Tiger,” which hits theaters next month. During the conversation, the actor opened up about his acting process and what he learned while doing Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis”.
Adam Driver praises Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Theatrical’ approach
While promoting his new film, “Paper Tiger,” the “House of Gucci” actor took part in a special SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations event to discuss his latest film and past projects. He had particularly kind words for Francis Ford Coppola and his “theatrical” approach to filmmaking.
“With Megalopoliswith Francis, his process is so dramatic, and at that time in my life, that set was so terrible,” explained the “65” actor in a video from the event posted on Reddit. MegalopolisI’m like, ‘I’m not going to get a chance like this to make a $130 million experimental film.’
Adam Driver felt ‘Nobody could make a mistake on set
He went on to praise the freedom Coppola gave the actors on set.
“I felt like I was trying to control it too much, or trying to – what’s a better way to say it? I think I’m very good at trying to panic out of a proper reaction on a film set, but with Megalopolisthere was this feeling that anyone could show up, no one could make a mistake, and nothing was wrong,” Driver continued.
“There’s nothing you could do that would be outside of the world of this movie,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, this is a really good feeling.'”
Accepting the Potential Disaster at the Theatre
The Juilliard alum explained that embracing “the potential for disaster in theater helped create a more collaborative set while working on ‘Megalopolis.'” In his words:
“And I feel this a lot in theater because the script is so well written, there are so many different ways to do it, and I love the potential for disaster, that it could go terribly wrong, and no one could stop us.”
“I have to remind myself to bring that to the movies,” he said.
Adam Driver tackles the difference between theater and film
The “Marriage Story” actor has a strong theater background and often uses his training to inform his on-screen performances.
“When you do a play, eight shows a week for four months, the last show is always the best because you let go,” he explained. “You’ve done it so many times.”
“It’s like repetition. You don’t think,” he continued. “You think, but you don’t think too much, and some parts are more economical, and you’ve solved that, but then you get another idea.”
“We don’t live in the theater. We live outside, and then we fight and whatever, or make up, and then we bring all that into the theater, and somehow, if you’re working on something good, it works into what you’re doing,” he said.
He continued: “I’m like, ‘Oh, I have to remind myself to do that.’ You get a limited hold, and in theatre, you get a lot of things.”
Adam Driver Wasn’t “Thinking Too Much” On The Set Of ‘Paper Tiger’
The actor felt he didn’t “think too much” while filming “Paper Tiger” because “director James Gray’s writing was so good”.
“That’s how I worked on this one,” he said. “I didn’t think too much, and again, the writing was so good that it did a lot of work for me, but I didn’t get caught up in an idea.”
“If I try to push a scene towards what I think it should be, it closes me off to so many other possible views,” he continued.
The driver was recommended to his “Paper Tiger” costar, Miles Teller, who would help him by adding some preparation to scenes.
“Miles is there, and he’s great, so he’s going to come in with something I can’t predict, and then we can play,” he said.
“Paper Tiger” opens in select US theaters on November 13, 2026, before expanding to national distribution on November 20, 2026.
