The first rule of Driver’s fight club? No groin shots.
Celebrity has a way of creating distance between mere mortals and those who have achieved A-list fame and eternal life on what was once celluloid, which is why it’s always nice to learn famous people are just everyday, normal folks who enjoy a local fight club.
Driver has told the story of his small town Indiana fight club a few times—most notably to Rolling Stone and Conan O’Brien.
Growing up there wasn’t much entertainment to be found Mishawaka, and so Driver occupied himself in the backyard of Celebrations, the town’s event space, with a fight club modeled after the 1999 David Fincher flick.
While quick to say their version did have rules, the primary issue wasn’t secrecy, but crotch shots. “No hitting in the balls, a good rule,” Driver told Rolling Stone. Not the toughest of fight clubs, Driver’s group would fight until “someone said ‘ow.’”
Driver did go on to become a legitimately tough guy. After he was rejected from Juilliard and in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Driver joined the Marines. He subsequently founded Arts in the Armed Forces, a non-profit that aims to improve communication between the military and civilians through the arts.