The "Adam Driver bar,"—a metal bar used by Adam Driver during additional Star Wars VO work—seems to have changed animation forever.
Even while doing voice work, actors can get intense and expressive in their performances. That's where the "Adam Driver bar" comes in; a metal bar now used in many animation and voiceover studios to help actors "lean into" their roles.
Knowledge of the bar was made public by actor Dave Franco, who used it for his role in the upcoming Pixar movie Hoppers. On March 3, 2026, a clip of the actor explaining what the "Adam Driver Bar" was went viral.
"So, when I first went into the recording booth, I remember stepping in and there was this metal bar in front of me," the actor explained in an interview on The One Show.
"I was like, 'Guys, what's the bar all about?' And they were like, 'If you wanna lean on it, you can.' And I was like, 'I don't think I'm going to lean on the bar.' Cut to the end of the session, I am gripping that bar with all my might. I'm dripping sweat."
What is the "Adam Driver Bar?"
Later, Franco added that the bar is an open secret in the entertainment industry, named "The Adam Driver Bar." According to Franco, Driver used the bar quite a bit during some ADR (short for Automated Dialogue Replacement) for his role in Star Wars. The actor, who played villian Kylo Ren, needed some help nailing the character's evil intensity, so he requested something to hold on to while he performed his lines.
The choice to use the bar accidentally "changed animation forever." The "Adam Driver bar" can be seen in some studios as an additional tool for actors to give the best performance they can.
Public reaction to Adam Driver's bar
Despite Franco's explanation of the bar, many attest that the bar has been used long before its celebrity moniker, especially in European voiceover studios. Some users were also wary of the recognition Driver was getting for "discovering" the bar.
"The bar info isn't new, however, it's nice to see actors referencing it and praising Adam for creating this helpful tool," read a comment on Reddit.
"The bar was a thing even before the original Star Wars was made," said one X user.
"He didn't make anything popular," another X user said. "He just looked at how dubbing was going in other countries. Soon he'll say he invented the rhythm band."
Despite its tie to the actor, the "Adam Driver Bar" is clearly a useful tool to facilitate ADR...and online discourse.
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