See the Cast of “Hillbilly Elegy” Side-by-Side with the Real People They Play in the Netflix Drama

Gabriel Basso played J.D. Vance in the Ron Howard-directed Netflix film released in November 2020

Here's what the Hillbilly Elegy actors look like compared to the real-life people they play on the Ron Howard-directed Netflix film released in November 2020.

The movie is a true story based on the life of J.D. Vance, who on July 15 was announced as Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidate. It's also an on-screen adaptation of the politician's 2016 book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.

At the time of Hillbilly Elegy's release, the film divided critics. While it earned Oscar nominations — Best Supporting Actress for Close and Best Makeup and Hairstyling — it also earned a "rotten" score of 25 percent on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

Vance executive-produced the drama, which chronicled the story of his impoverished childhood in Middletown, Ohio, and how he went on to become a Yale Law School grad. Following its release, he became a Republican senator for the state.

Hillbilly Elegy starred Gabriel Basso as an adult J.D. and Owen Asztalos as his younger self. Amy Adams played his mother Bev, and Glenn Close starred as his grandmother Mamaw. Haley Bennett played his sister Lindsay and Freida Pinto was his wife Usha.

Scroll on to see the Hillbilly Elegy cast alongside the real-life people they portray on screen.

Gabriel Basso as J.D. Vance

Gabriel Basso starred as J.D. Vance in Netflix's Hillbilly Elegy. The drama is based on the politician's bestselling 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.

The film portrays J.D.'s early years growing up in Middletown, Ohio alongside his parents, sister and grandparents. His father left the family when he was very young, and his mother and grandfather struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, respectively.

J.D. joined the Marines before taking on several other jobs to afford college, eventually going on to study at Ohio State University and later Yale Law School.

Aside from his role as J.D., Basso has had several roles since his first TV gig as a kid on the Showtime series The Big C. Other credits include 2011's Super 8, 2013's The Kings of Summer and the titular role in Netflix's thriller series The Night Agent.

Amy Adams as Beverly Vance

Amy Adams played J.D.'s mother, Beverly, in Netflix's Hillbilly Elegy. She is well known by her nickname, "Bev."

Bev welcomed their first child, daughter Lindsay, with Donald Bowman when she was 19 years old in 1979. They had J.D. five years later, before his father ultimately walked out on the family when he was a toddler.

The film explores J.D. and his sister's difficult upbringing with Bev, who worked as a nurse and struggled with drug addiction. She had the help of her parents, referred to as Mamaw and Papaw, who moved from Kentucky to Ohio in pursuit of the American Dream.

Of meeting the Vance family in real life, Adams told Entertainment Weekly , "seeing the way they talked and acted with each other was helpful. There was a dynamic of being open and generous,"

"We spoke to them individually, and they gave perspective on their story, where they were, and where they are now," she added. "That helped me see the complexities of the relationships and love that they have."

Adams is a six-time Oscar nominee earned nods for her work in 2010's The Fighter, 2014's American Hustle and 2019's Vice; she'll next be seen in Nightbitch.

Glenn Close as Mamaw

Glenn Close played Bonnie Vance, J.D.'s no-nonsense maternal grandmother who goes by "Mamaw."

The Ohio senator was primarily raised by his grandparents, including Bonnie's husband James. To accurately portray Mamaw, Close altered her own appearance.

"The first time we were all in full drag was for our hair and makeup tests, close previously recalled to PEOPLE of her interactions with crew members on set. "It was fun. People didn't know it was me. They thought some slightly disturbing person had gotten on the sound stage."

Like Adams, Close also met with the real-life Bonnie to better portray her character when filming. "Talking with the real J.D. was crucial," the actress told EW. "No matter how fierce she could be, they sensed that, underneath, she was a damaged person herself, but she had this great energy about her in a non-compromising way."

In addition to her role as Mamaw, which earned her an Oscar nod for her portrayal, Close has starred in a number of projects on screen and the stage throughout her career that spans over five decades. Among then include 1987's Fatal Attraction, 1988's Dangerous Liaisons, 1994's The Paper and 2017's The Wife.

Freida Pinto as Usha Vance

Freida Pinto starred as Usha, Vance's wife, in Netflix's Hillbilly Elegy. The pair met in Yale Law School in 2013, married in 2014 and have since welcomed three children together: Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.

The film focuses on the couple's relationship prior to marriage. Usha supports J.D. while they're in law school as he juggles the rigorous curriculum with his familial difficulties.

“Usha was like my Yale spirit guide,” J.D. wrote in Hillbilly Elegy of his wife. “She instinctively understood the questions I didn’t even know to ask and she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didn’t know existed."

Pinto rose to instant fame with her role in 2008's Slumdog Millionaire. Other works include 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2018's Love Sonia and 2022's Mr. Malcolm's List.

Haley Bennett as Lindsay Vance

Haley Bennett played Lindsay Vance, J.D.'s sister, in Netflix's Hillbilly Elegy. The film explores their childhood being raised by their drug-addicted mother and their grandparents.

"I had to conjure up some painful memories from my past and being a child brought up in lesser circumstances with a father who also struggled with addiction in rural Ohio,” Bennett previously told IndieWire of getting into character, "It’s not easily sugar-coated.”

Lindsay, a mother of three who isn't in the spotlight, did several interviews in support of her brother and his work. She told Megyn Kelly in 2017, “I would die for that kid. And I know he would, too."

Bennett's acting credits include 2007's Music and Lyrics, 2016's The Magnificent Seven, 2017's The Equalizer and 2021's Cyrano, to name a few.

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