Actor Glenn Close is an eight-time Academy Award nominee, recognized for her work in such classics as The World According to Garp, Fatal Attraction, and Dangerous Liaisons.
But her most recent nomination came in 2021 in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work as Mamaw—the grandmother of a young J.D. Vance—in Ron Howard's adaptation of Vance's bestseller Hillbilly Elegy, which positioned him as a notable voice on rural America and the political ascent of Donald Trump, now the president-elect.
And in an appearance on The View, Close talked about her experience with the vice president-elect and his family on the set of the film, addressing Vance's personality shift in recent years.
Co-host Joy Behar asked Close about her experience working on the film, to which Close said Vance used to be much more approachable, even "helping" young actor Owen Asztalos, who played Vance as a child, with his portrayal. In fact, Close revealed that the cast "all met members of the family," including Vance himself, and "sat with them individually, one-on-one."
Of her experience with Vance and his family, Close said:
"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? The family was very generous."
To that, Behar commented:
"He has a whole different personality than he has now."
Close laughed and seemed to agree, saying:
"I don't know what happened."
Behar responded:
"A lot of people out there are like that.The Invasion of the Body Snatchers I think is the name of that movie."
Close observed:
"Yeah, yeah, power is probably the biggest aphrodisiac for a human being."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Others also noted Vance's change.
Close previously mocked Vance for his now-infamous remarks about "childless cat ladies" to delightful effect.
In 2021, Vance told then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the country is run by “Democrats… corporate oligarchs… a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices they made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too.”
Vance's sexist remarks continued:
“It’s just a basic fact — you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC — the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children. And how does it make any sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?”
Close—who doesn't have children—took aim at Vance on Instagram by sharing a picture of herself with her cat paired with the following caption:
"Eve would have left a bleeding mouse head in the bed of anyone who criticized any kind of lady with a CAT!"
At the time, many appreciated her shade.
@champmom/Instagram
@virginmary502/Instagram
@mswardvw/Instagram
@jenni_rus/Instagram
Vance has indeed changed significantly.
Vance continues to face accusations of hypocrisy for having once been a major Trump critic, a fact Trump seemed willing to overlook as he named Vance his running mate.
In 2016, Vance frequently criticized Trump in interviews tied to Hillbilly Elegy, which had positioned him as a notable voice on rural America and Trump’s ascent in politics. He argued that the then-Republican presidential nominee offered empty promises that wouldn’t address the problems plaguing communities like his hometown in Ohio.
In fact, at one point he referred to Trump as "cultural heroin," asserting that Trump "cannot fix what ails them, and one day they’ll realize it."
Additionally, Vance once labeled himself as a “Never Trump guy” and referred to Trump as an “idiot” in tweets that have since been deleted. During an August 2016 NPR interview, he mentioned that he might consider voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton if he believed Trump had a chance of winning.
