Glenn Close is certainly familiar with the incoming vice president — she played his grandmother and met his family, after all. The accomplished actress stopped by this morning’s episode of The View to promote Netflix‘s Back in Action, but when it was Joy Behar‘s turn to ask her a question, the co-host couldn’t help but probe Close about her experience making 2020’s Hillbilly Elegy, an adaptation of J.D. Vance‘s book of the same name.
When Hillbilly Elegy was first published in 2016, Vance was outspoken in his criticism of Donald Trump, who won his first presidential election that year. Fast forward to 2025, and Vance is preparing to lead the country alongside Trump during the latter’s second term.
Behar noted on today’s show that Vance has made quite the change in recent years, telling Close, “In 2020, you played J.D. Vance’s mamaw in Hillbilly Elegy. And the movie was based on his bestselling memoir. I remember him hawking it in the old days, and he even visited the set at the time when you were doing that.”
Close replied, “He did, and he helped young Owen [Asztalos], who was playing him, he helped him. We all met members of the family. We all sat with them individually, one-on-one.
“And for me, with Mamaw, I’d say, ‘How did she walk into a room? How did she sit? How did she smoke? How did laugh? How did change the chemistry?’” she continued. “So that was, you know, the family was very generous with their time.”
Behar remarked, “He had a whole different personality in those days than he has now. Something, he—”
Close interjected, “I don’t know what happened!” while widening her eyes and shaking her head, which earned a laugh from the audience.
Behar then quipped, “A lot of people out there like that. The invasion of the bodysnatchers, I think is the name of that movie,” as Close offered a possible explanation for Vance’s change of heart about Trump.
“I think power, power is probably the biggest aphrodisiac for a human being,” she said, which earned approval from Behar, who agreed, “It really is.”
The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.
