Glenn Close Reflects on JD Vance’s Family Visit During ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Filming

Actress Glenn Close shared insights about her experience filming ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ during an appearance on ‘The View‘ on Wednesday, revealing that Vice President-elect JD Vance and his family were ‘generous’ during their visit to the set. Close, who played Vance’s grandmother ‘Mamaw’ in the 2020 Netflix adaptation of his memoir, described how the family contributed to the film’s authenticity.

‘We all met members of the family. We all sat with them individually, one-on-one,’ Close told co-host Joy Behar. ‘For me, with Mamaw, I’d say, ‘how did she walk into a room, how did she sit, how did she smoke, how did she laugh, how did she change the chemistry?’ So that was, you know, the family was very generous with their time.’

Close, a longtime Democratic supporter, paused during the conversation and remarked, ‘I don’t know what happened,’ seemingly referencing Vance’s shift toward conservative politics. Vance, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022, was recently chosen as Donald Trump‘s running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

Behar and co-host Sunny Hostin took jabs at Vance during the segment, with Behar quipping, ‘He had a whole different personality in those days than he has now. A lot of people out there are like that. ‘The Invasion of the Body Snatchers,’ I think, is the name of that movie.’ Hostin added, ‘Well, now he’s talking about childless cat ladies.’

‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ based on Vance’s 2016 bestselling memoir, explored his upbringing in Ohio and the socioeconomic challenges faced by working-class Americans. The film, directed by Ron Howard, received mixed reviews, with critics arguing it failed to fully capture the complexities of its subject matter. Rolling Stone‘s David Fear wrote that the film’s ‘politically conservative, anti-welfare streak’ felt ‘surgically removed,’ while The Independent‘s Clarisse Loughrey called it an ‘irresponsible parade of death and despair.’

Despite the criticism, Close emphasized that the film ‘wasn’t made with politics in mind.’ She highlighted the collaborative effort to portray Vance’s family authentically, noting that Vance himself helped the young actor who played his childhood self. ‘He was very helpful to the young boy who played him,’ Close said.

Vance’s memoir and its subsequent adaptation brought national attention to Appalachian culture and issues like addiction and violence. Some critics, however, have suggested that the film’s success may have inadvertently bolstered Vance’s political career. Variety‘s Peter Debruge wrote in July that Vance’s rise to prominence ‘thanks to Hollywood’s help’ mirrored how ‘The Apprentice‘ gave Donald Trump a platform in 2004.

As Vance prepares to assume the role of vice president, his connection to ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ continues to spark discussion about the intersection of entertainment and politics.