Sumith Prasad
In Michael Mann’s biographical film ‘Ferrari,’ Adam Driver appears as Italian automobile mogul Enzo Ferrari with an unignorable transformation. Driver, who was in his late 30s while filming the movie, had to make sure that his physique and performance matched Enzo, who was in his late 50s in the year 1957, the year in which the narrative takes place. Although Driver hasn’t revealed how much he gained, it is evident that he had to increase his weight to authentically portray the Italian entrepreneur. Strangely, the production schedule of the film seemingly helped him as well!
Adam Driver’s Transformation
Before joining the production of ‘Ferrari,’ Adam Driver completed the shooting of Noah Baumbach’s absurdist comedy ‘White Noise,’ in which he plays the protagonist Prof. Jack Gladney. For the role, Driver did gain weight. “I put on weight and we had a back-up stomach, and then we didn’t need the back-up stomach,” Driver told the press at the 2022 Venice Film Festival while attending the film’s premiere. The shooting of ‘White Noise’ reportedly concluded in January 2022. Seemingly without losing the weight he gained for ‘White Noise,’ Driver joined the production of ‘Ferrari,’ which started in August 2022.
Christian Bale was initially attached to play Enzo in Mann’s film. However, he eventually exited the project, back in 2016, since he didn’t have enough time to gain weight for the role. The production of the movie then got delayed, only for it to start around six years later. Mann eventually chose Driver to become Enzo. “There was something about how he [Driver] has lived life. He has a raw ambition, an artistic ambition, and real ferocity behind that drive to really do this work, do it really well, and really get it. You see it all over, it’s a transformational performance in how he moves, how he walks, the weight, how he breathes,” Mann said about the reason behind casting Driver while appearing on the podcast, ‘Inside Total Film.’
Driver’s commitment to playing Enzo in ‘Ferrari’ was not limited to his physical transformation. The actor even took a pay cut to make the project happen. “We [Mann and Driver] are very similar. We’re both committed to do whatever it takes to make a performance or film. Everybody cut [their fees], starting with Adam and myself. Penelope cut as well, so the picture was made by the will of the people working on the movie,” Mann told Screen Daily. Furthermore, Driver has changed his physique extensively in the past.
Driver lost a remarkable 51 pounds for Martin Scorsese’s 2016 period film ‘Silence,’ in which he plays Francisco Garupe. To lose weight and “become” his character, Driver even chose to starve himself. “How can you play persecuted 17th-century Jesuit priests, you know, like eating great meals?” the actor told W Magazine. He then gained weight to play Kylo Ren in the 2019 movie ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,’ displaying his unwavering commitment to his roles.
