“Hillbilly Elegy” Director Ron Howard Says He’s ‘Very Surprised and Disappointed’ by J.D. Vance’s Political Rhetoric

Howard adapted Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ novel into a Netflix film of the same name in 2020

Filmmaker Ron Howard is sharing his thoughts about J.D. Vance's vice presidential candidacy, four years after he adapted Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, into a Netflix film of the same name.

In an interview with Deadline at the Toronto International Film Festival, Howard, 70, revealed that he has been “surprised” at the author-turned-Republican politician's often far-right political beliefs.

“Well, we didn’t talk a lot of politics when we were making the movie because I was interested in his upbringing and that survival tale,” Howard told Deadline. “That’s what we mostly focused on.”

"However, 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,” he continued. “People do change, and I assume that’s the case. Well, it’s on record.”

Related: J.D. Vance Isn't the Bridge-Building VP That Moderates Wanted: What He's Said About Women, Voting and Project 2025

Although Howard told the outlet that he and Vance did not speak about his political views, the filmmaker said that "that was then," and the now–Ohio senator changed his tune since they first met.

"When we spoke around the time that I knew him, he was not involved in politics or claimed to be particularly interested," Howard said, before taking a moment to encourage people to vote in the upcoming election.

"I think the important thing is to recognize what’s going on today and to vote. And so that’s my answer," the Happy Days alum said. "It's not really about a movie made five or six years ago. It is, but we need to respond to what we’re seeing, hearing, feeling now, and vote responsibly, whatever that is. We must participate. That's my answer."

Howard directed the 2020 Netflix film, which starred Amy Adams and Glenn Close and was based on Vance's 2016 book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.

Related: Why Did Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy, Based on Memoir by Trump's VP Pick J.D. Vance, Divide Critics?

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Both Vance, 40, and Hillbilly Elegy have been the subject of some criticism since its release in 2016, with many writers and critics alleging that he portrayed the culture incorrectly.

"Hillbilly Elegy plays like 'privileged' Hollywood outsiders looking in with pity so as to assuage their white liberal guilt. By ignoring the very specific politics and personal observations that made the book allegedly valuable as a memoir, the film negates its very reason for existing," film reporter Scott Mendelson wrote for a Forbes review at the time.

Despite these criticisms, the book and film saw commercial success, with the former hitting No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list and the movie topping Netflix's most-watched lists around its release.

On July 15, it was revealed that Vance would be Donald Trump's running mate for the 2024 presidential election. He is set to take on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1, which will be moderated by CBS News' Margaret Brennan and Norah O'Donnell.

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