Adam Driver Names His Favorite Musicians — and They Might Surprise You

When it comes to music, no one can accuse actor Adam Driver of playing it safe. The movie star opened up about his favorite musicians of all time, and the list just might surprise you.

Driver lists his three favorite musicians as Tom Waits, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and The Beatles’ George Harrison, according to Far Out Magazine. You probably couldn’t list three more different musicians if you tried.

A Grammy Award-winning artist, Waits’ music throughout his career often defied labeling. The songwriter and performer blends folk, country, and rock among other genres. Waits’ music focuses on experimentation and often casts a societal lens, which makes it understandable why it connected with Driver.

Meanwhile, Rachmaninoff was a Russian virtuoso steeped in classical music. Rachmaninoff built a lasting legacy for himself in music, thanks to his work on the piano and his ability to arrange symphonies.

Harrison and his legacy speaks for itself. Part of the supergroup The Beatles, Harrison contributed to the musical landscape of the 1960s and 70s. Although he wasn’t as outspoken as some of his bandmates like Paul McCartney and John Lennon, Harrison played an important role in the group’s makeup. If there was one Beatle that Driver could be, it would be Harrison.

What stands out about all three artists is that they were known for their creative expression but generally didn’t bask in the limelight to the same extent as their peers (although they were quite successful by all accounts).

Driver Dabbles in Music

Although he’s mainly known for his role on screen, Driver does have a music appreciation and has dabbled in the medium. For instance, Driver knows how to play the piano, but he confessed, “I’m not a concert player by any means.”

Likewise, Driver has sung before in his movies, breaking out into song in “Marriage Story,” for instance. In an interview with The Orange County Register, Driver opened up about combining the two different arts together.

“I don’t have any plans nor not necessarily no interest to sing again in movies. I always love it in movies,” Driver said. “People do sing in life—I mean, burst into the song. But we don’t communicate through song. In a way, it feels more appropriate. There is something more vulnerable about it.”

[Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images]