You probably don’t remember him. Honestly, most people don’t. When Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln hit theaters back in 2012, all the oxygen in the room was sucked up by Daniel Day-Lewis. I mean, the guy basically resurrected a ghost on screen. But if you look closely at the frantic telegraph office scenes—specifically the ones where the weight of the Civil War feels heaviest—you’ll see a young, somewhat lanky actor with a very distinct face. That was Adam Driver in Lincoln, playing a character named Samuel Beckwith. It wasn't a lead role. It wasn't even a supporting role with much dialogue. But for Driver, it was the "big bang" moment of his film career.
The weird thing about Hollywood is how a three-minute performance can dictate the next ten years of a person's life.
Before he was Kylo Ren or the guy from Marriage Story, Driver was just a Juilliard grad who had done some off-Broadway work and was starting to get noticed for a show on HBO called Girls. But Girls hadn't quite turned him into a household name yet. Landing a part in a Spielberg period piece—even as a bit player—is the industry equivalent of getting knighted. It told every other casting director in town that if he was good enough for Steven, he was good enough for anyone.
Who exactly was Samuel Beckwith?
History buffs will tell you that Samuel Beckwith wasn't just some random guy invented for the script. He was Abraham Lincoln's actual telegraph operator. In the film, Driver’s job is basically to be the bridge between the bloody reality of the front lines and the quiet, tense atmosphere of the War Department.
He’s the guy who has to hand over the messages.
Think about the pressure of that for a second. Driver is sharing a cramped, dimly lit set with Daniel Day-Lewis—who stayed in character as the President even when the cameras stopped rolling—and he has to look like a guy who handles world-altering secrets every day. He nails it. He has this grounded, slightly nervous but professional energy that fits the 1860s perfectly. It’s a masterclass in "acting without acting." He doesn’t have a flashy monologue. He just is.
Why Adam Driver in Lincoln matters more than you think
If you’re a fan of cinema history, you know that Spielberg has this uncanny ability to scout talent before they explode. He did it with Liam Neeson, he did it with Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun, and he did it with Driver. At the time, Driver was mostly known for being the "weird boyfriend" on TV. Casting him in a prestige historical drama was a pivot. It showed range.
The film itself is a dense, talky political thriller. It’s about the 13th Amendment. It’s about backroom deals and the messy, ugly process of doing something good. Amidst all that high-level political maneuvering, Driver provides a sense of the "common man" infrastructure that kept the Union running.
"I remember being struck by his presence. Even in a room full of veterans, he stood out because he didn't seem like he was trying to stand out." — This is the sentiment often echoed by casting directors who revisited his work after the film's release.
There’s a specific scene where Lincoln is waiting for news from Fort Fisher. The tension is thick. Driver’s character, Beckwith, is right there in the mix. You can see him processing the gravity of the President's presence. It’s subtle stuff. But it’s the kind of subtle stuff that gets you a meeting with the Coen Brothers for Inside Llewyn Davis, which happened shortly after.
The transition from Juilliard to the War Department
It's actually kind of funny to look back at. Driver had recently finished his time in the Marine Corps before going to Juilliard. That military background probably helped him more than the acting school did for this specific role. There is a certain way a soldier carries themselves, even a telegraph operator in the 1860s, and Driver has that discipline in his bones.
He doesn't fidget. He doesn't waste movement.
When you watch Adam Driver in Lincoln now, you’re essentially watching a superstar in his larval stage. He’s lean, his hair is period-appropriate, and he looks like he belongs in a sepia-toned photograph. Most actors look like modern people playing "dress up" when they do period pieces. Driver looked like he had stepped out of a time machine.
Spielberg’s direction and the "Driver Effect"
Spielberg is notorious for his "oners"—those long, complicated takes where the camera moves through a space and hits multiple beats without cutting. Driver had to be part of that choreography. In the telegraph office, the camera weaves around desks and operators. If Driver misses a beat or reacts poorly to a line from Day-Lewis, the whole shot is ruined.
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He didn't ruin it. He held his own against the greatest actor of his generation.
That’s the "Driver Effect." He has this gravity that pulls you toward him even when he isn't the focus of the shot. It’s why he’s become the go-to guy for directors like Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola. They saw that same reliability and "weight" in his early work.
Misconceptions about his role size
A lot of people go back to watch Lincoln specifically to see Driver and end up disappointed because he isn't in it for 40 minutes. Let’s be real: he’s probably on screen for a total of seven or eight minutes. But in those minutes, he’s essential. He represents the flow of information.
Without the telegraph operators, Lincoln is blind.
The movie focuses heavily on the House of Representatives and the cabinet, but the War Department scenes are where the human cost of the delay in passing the amendment is felt. Driver is the messenger of that cost. Every time he hands over a paper, it’s potentially a list of dead men. He plays that weight with a quiet, somber respect.
What you should look for on your next rewatch
If you're going to fire up the movie again, pay attention to the scene where Lincoln is explaining his legal reasoning for the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s a long, philosophical tangent. Watch the guys in the room. Some look bored, some look confused. Driver plays it with a focused, quiet intensity, like a man who knows he’s hearing something that will be in history books.
It’s a generous way to act. He’s supporting the main performance by being a perfect audience within the film.
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Actionable Insights for Film Buffs and Actors:
- Study the "Small" Moments: If you're an aspiring actor, watch Driver in this film. He doesn't have the "big speech," but he has a "big presence." He proves that there are no small roles, only small actors.
- Contextualize the Career: Use Lincoln as the starting point for an Adam Driver marathon. Watch this, then Inside Llewyn Davis, then Star Wars, then Paterson. You will see the evolution of a man who learned how to use his physicality to tell a story.
- Appreciate the History: Take a moment to look up the real Samuel Beckwith. He was a fascinating figure who was incredibly close to Lincoln during the final years of the war. Driver’s portrayal is a rare tribute to a man who worked behind the scenes to change the world.
- Observe Spielberg’s Casting: Look at the other "minor" characters in the film. You’ll see people like Jared Harris, David Strathairn, and Walton Goggins. Driver was being placed in a stable of some of the best character actors alive. That wasn't an accident.
The reality is that Adam Driver in Lincoln is a "blink and you'll miss it" performance that actually serves as the foundation for one of the most interesting careers in modern Hollywood. It’s the moment he moved from "that guy from that show" to a legitimate film actor. He didn't need a lightsaber to get our attention; he just needed a telegraph machine and a quiet room in 1865.
If you want to understand why Driver is everywhere now, you have to go back to the beginning. You have to go back to the telegraph office. You have to see how he handled the pressure of standing next to a giant like Lincoln (and Day-Lewis) and didn't flinch. That’s where the star was born, even if we didn't realize it at the time.
To truly appreciate this performance, watch the film with a focus on the background actors during the War Department sequences. Note how Driver uses his eyes to convey the exhaustion of a three-year war. Observe his posture when the President enters the room—it’s a mix of reverence and the familiarity of someone who sees the leader of the free world every single night at 2:00 AM. These tiny details are what separate a working actor from a legend in the making.
Next time you're scrolling through a streaming service and see that iconic black-and-white profile of Daniel Day-Lewis, click play. Don't just wait for the big speeches in the courthouse. Wait for the quiet moments in the telegraph office. That's where you'll find the DNA of every great Adam Driver performance that followed.