Who Narrates the 'Hillbilly Elegy' Film? The Film Is Based on J.D. Vance's Memoir

In July 2024, Republican politician J.D. Vance was named Donald Trump's running mate in the 2024 presidential election. He certainly fits the bill for the far right. He's especially opposed to LGBTQ+ policies, the right to abortion, and stricter gun control, though he has ironically differed from his Republican base on things like taxes and minimum wage. He's received plenty of criticism for his views, as has his memoir and the film it spawned.

In 2020, Hillbilly Elegy was released on Netflix. The film adapts Vance's 2016 memoir of the same name and features heavy-hitting actors like Amy Adams and Glenn Close in starring roles. The movie received a negative reception upon release and even earned several Golden Raspberry nominations, though Glenn and Amy received more legitimate award nominations for their performances. But now that J.D. Vance has reentered the spotlight in the worst way possible, folks are curious about who narrated his movie.

Hillbilly Elegy recounts J.D. Vance's supposed experience of his Kentucky family struggling to make do in the town of Middletown, Ohio. J.D. is raised by his unwell mother Bev, though he spends most of his time with his grandmother Bonnie as an escape from his mother's drug addiction.

Bev is portrayed by Amy Adams, who was nominated for a SAG award for her performance. Bonnie is played by Glenn Close, who received Golden Globe, SAG, and Oscar noms for the role.

Meanwhile, J.D. Vance was portrayed by actor Gabriel Basso, who also provided the voiceover narration for the film.

Gabriel Basso is a relatively well-known actor who's been in show business since 2007. Before Hillbilly Elegy, he appeared in films like Super 8 and The Whole Truth. He's also been featured in shows like iCarly and The Middle. Gabriel is currently the lead in an action thriller series on Netflix called The Night Agent, in which he plays an FBI agent investigating a high-profile mole in the U.S. government.

Interestingly enough, his political alignment has never been made public, which makes one wonder how comfortable an actor could be in portraying one of the most divisive politicians active today. Of course, the same could be said about anyone who thought that adapting a divisive memoir like this was a good idea. Nevertheless, the film and its lackluster reception pale in comparison to the harmful rhetoric that Vance brings to the campaign path.

To supplement their increasingly radical agenda, both Vance and Trump have directly targeted the LGBTQ+ community in the ongoing presidential campaign. Given their track record for open hate speech and highly public toxicity and behavior, it's highly doubtful that anyone would want to be attached to a movie about Vance now.

If you're morbidly curious about Hillbilly Elegy, it's still currently streaming on Netflix.