What did Ron Howard, director of 'Hillbilly Elegy' say about JD Vance? He's concerned.

Ron Howard was likely never going to vote for Donald Trump, calling the former president at one time a "self-serving, dishonest, morally bankrupt ego maniac." Nevertheless, the 70-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker has been trending again after recent comments he made about JD Vance .

Howard knew Vance long before the Ohio senator accepted Trump's offer to become the Republican vice presidential running mate. He helped turn Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy" into a film, serving as its director in 2020.

What did Ron Howard say about JD Vance?

During a recent interview with Variety at the Toronto International Film Festival , Howard said he was "surprised and concerned" with "a lot of the rhetoric" coming out of Trump and Vance's 2024 campaign.

"There was no version of me voting for Donald Trump to be president again, whoever the vice president was," he said. "But given the experience that I had then, five (or) six years ago, yeah, I'd say that I've been surprised."

2024 elections: JD Vance suggests grandparents helping out as way to lower childcare costs

The JD Vance he knew four years ago wasn't involved in nor claimed to be particularly interested in politics, Howard said in a recent interview with Deadline , while adding the subject of politics wasn't discussed in length during the making of the film.

"We've got to get out and vote, for whomever," he told Variety. "But be thoughtful, listen to what the candidates are saying today — that's what's really relevant, who they are today — and make a decision, an informed one."

How to watch 'Hillbilly Elegy'

The film "Hillbilly Elegy" is available to watch on Netflix , which acquired the movie's distribution rights in 2019, according to People Magazine. It appeared in select theaters in November 2020 before moving to the streaming platform later that month.

What is 'Hillbilly Elegy' about?

"Hillbilly Elegy" is a movie adaptation of Vance's 2016 memoir, released by HarperCollins Publisher , which chronicles Vance's childhood in the poor Rust Belt town of Middleton, Ohio. Both the film and book address issues touching on poverty, substance abuse addiction and the struggles of white working-class families.

"An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown, where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future," according to a film summary on Netflix. The movie is rated R for mature themes that include child and domestic abuse.

Trump vs. Harris: The presidential debate is Tuesday. How to watch it in Indiana

USA TODAY reporter Brendan Morrow and Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Alex Perry contributed to this article.

John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports .

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What did Ron Howard, director of 'Hillbilly Elegy' say about JD Vance? He's concerned.