Several years ago, Ron Howard directed Hillbilly Elegy, the film adaptation of the memoir J.D. Vance published in 2016. Now, Vance is former President Donald Trump's running mate. Although Howard says he and Vance didn't really talk politics while working on the film, he is still "very surprised and disappointed" by Vance's current rhetoric, he told Deadline.
The 2020 film adaptation of Vance's memoir starred Amy Adams and Glenn Close. Both Gabriel Basso and Owen Asztalos portrayed Vance in the movie. When working on the film, Howard said he was mainly "interested in [Vance's] upbringing and that survival tale," per Deadline.
Although Howard and Vance "didn't talk a lot of politics," Howard did not necessarily expect Vance to have the kind of views that he is currently promoting as Trump's running mate.
"Based on the conversations that we had during that time, I just have to say I’m very surprised and disappointed by much of the rhetoric that I’m reading and hearing," Howard told Deadline. "People do change, and I assume that’s the case."
At the time that Howard knew Vance, the senator and vice presidential nominee was not working in politics.
"When we spoke around the time that I knew him, he was not involved in politics or claimed to be particularly interested," Howard told the outlet.
He emphasized that how Vance acted then is not what's important though. What's more important, he continued, is what Vance is saying now.
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"I think the important thing is to recognize what’s going on today and to vote. And so that’s my answer. It’s not really about a movie made five or six years ago," Howard continued. "It is, but we need to respond to what we’re seeing, hearing, feeling now, and vote responsibly."
Howard expressed similar views when speaking with Variety. He sat down with the outlet to help promote his upcoming film Eden. Reflecting on his previous interactions with Vance, Howard reiterated that he's "surprised and concerned by a lot of the rhetoric coming out of that campaign."
His decision to not vote for Donald Trump and JD Vance in the upcoming election has nothing to do with his experience working with Vance.
"There’s no version of me voting for Donald Trump to be President again, whoever the Vice President was," he told Variety. "But given the experience that I had then 5, 6 years ago. Yeah, I’d say that I’ve been surprised."
He encouraged people to vote — "for whomever."
"But be thoughtful," he told Variety. "Listen to what the candidates are saying today, that’s what’s really relevant it’s who they are today. And make a decision, an informed one.”
