INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Adam Driver, a two-time Academy Award nominee who will shortly play Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of the Italian automobile entrepreneur, will be the honorary starter for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
Driver is most known for his role as Kylo Ren in the three most recent “Star Wars” films, and he has received Academy Award nominations for his efforts in “BlacKkKlansman” and “Marriage Story.” Driver has also gotten four Primetime Emmy nods for his work on the comedy-drama “Girls” and will appear on “Saturday Night Live” in 2020.
“Adam is going to experience one of the most exhilarating, powerful, and exciting moments in sports as he stands atop the flag stand and waves the green flag to officially start the world’s greatest race,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles in a statement Tuesday.
Driver grew up in the northern Indiana town of Mishawaka before joining the Marine Corps. He returned from military service and enrolled at the University of Indianapolis before auditioning for Julliard, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
His other film credits include “House of Gucci” by Ridley Scott, “Logan Lucky” by Steven Soderbergh, and “Silence” by Martin Scorsese. On and off Broadway, he featured in “Look Back in Anger” and the revival of Lanford Wilson’s “Burn This.”
Adam Driver, a two-time Academy Award nominee, will shortly play Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of the Italian automobile entrepreneur.
Due to its traditional Memorial Day weekend location, the Indy 500 is steeped in military pageantry. Enlistment ceremonies are held, helicopters and other equipment are displayed, and “Taps” is played right before the command to start the engines.
Driver joined the Marines immediately after the attacks on September 11, 2001, and served as a mortarman in the 1st Marines for nearly three years. Following a mountain bike injury, he was medically discharged as a lance corporal and co-founded Arts in the Armed Forces, a charity that performs theatre and musical performances for military personnel.
“Race day means a lot to our drivers, our fans all over the world, and especially our active-duty military members and veterans,” added Boles. “Adam is not only a global star, but also a former US Marine who will be an excellent addition to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'”
SOURCE – (AP)
