Gabriel Basso, best-known for his starring role on Netflix’s “The Night Agent,” recently opened up about portraying Vice President JD Vance.
Reflecting on his role as Vance in the 2020 movie adaptation of “Hillbilly Elegy,” authored by the now-politician, Basso admitted it felt “kind of weird” to be woven into the narrative surrounding Vance’s career trajectory.
“It’s kind of weird to be included in that timeline,” Basso shared in an interview with “Variety.” “When he’s thinking about his life—they made a movie of his book, and my name will always be in the description.”
The statement came not long before Vance’s inauguration as Donald Trump’s vice president.
The 30-year-old actor, who brought to life the book’s depiction of Vance’s early years in the Midwest, revealed that he had prior discussions with Vance before filming began.
“We talked a little bit. He’s a cool dude. We’re both from the Midwest. We just talked about life—about growing up in the woods,” Basso recalled.
Originally hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Basso received a pivotal career boost when cast in Ron Howard’s cinematic account of Vance’s youth in Appalachian Ohio and Kentucky.
Since then, Basso transitioned to playing FBI agent Peter Sutherland on the Netflix hit “The Night Agent,” with its eagerly awaited second season debuting last Thursday.
While navigating the Hollywood landscape, Basso commented on his apolitical stance in life. “I’m not really a political person,” he noted.
“I think our form of government is illegitimate,” Basso added. “It’s never supposed to have been a federal government. That’s not what we started as—but everything is federal now.”
During a recent appearance on “Good Morning America,” he touched on why he thinks “The Night Agent” resonates deeply with audiences, attributing its success to “an inherent distrust for government.”
Basso believes as an actor that he doesn’t “feel like a productive part of society,” and thinks ” there’s more important things that a 30-year-old man can do with his life.”
“If all actors were to die tomorrow. society would continue. This business is not important in the scheme of society,” he added.
He also spoke about his life goals once his acting tenure slows, envisioning a non-profit focused on providing better training for police officers, particularly in operational readiness and mental composure.
“Police officers are representatives of a government people don’t trust,” Basso candidly stated.
He believes transforming societal perceptions begins with well-trained officers who can instill tangible trust in their communities. Advocating for accountability, he criticized practices of undertrained law enforcement.
“I would err on the side of, I’d rather a police officer be well-trained, composed, and if they do mess up, we hold them accountable,” he added.
Just as the actor weighed in on federal systems and law enforcement issues, the man he portrayed—Vice President JD Vance—was making headlines of his own.
On Friday, Vance cast the decisive vote in a 51-50 Senate count that confirmed Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of Defense.
JD Vance coming out to break the tie and give us Hegseth. pic.twitter.com/1pSjYWGp3p
— Orpheus (@Antoine01686702) January 25, 2025
Hegseth’s confirmation passed despite opposition from three Republicans—Maine’s Susan Collins, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, and Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell—who joined 47 Democrats in their dissent.
The same day, Vance made his first public address as vice president, speaking passionately at the 52nd March for Life rally held at the National Mall.
At the event, he affirmed the Trump administration’s solidarity with the pro-life movement. “It is a blessing to know the truth, and the truth is that unborn life is worthy of protection,” he told the sea of demonstrators.
Vance pledged unwavering support for the cause, assuring the crowd, “I want to be clear that this administration stands by you.”
.@VP JD Vance delivered his first public remarks as vice president today at the 52nd annual March for Life. He was met with massive enthusiasm and excitement from the young people in the crowd. Everyone I spoke to was impressed.
“It is a blessing to know the truth, and the… pic.twitter.com/ovQiZIlY0H
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 24, 2025
“We stand with you, and most importantly, we stand with the most vulnerable and the basic principle that people exercising the right to protest on behalf of the most vulnerable should never have the government go after them ever again,” he continued.
The vice president continued by commending the unity and purpose of the movement, stating, “You being here, this very march, is a reminder of the incredible strength and unity of the pro-life movement. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you for being here, and thank you for marching here today.”
Vance closed his remarks with words of encouragement to attendees, emphasizing that their work extends beyond the symbolic rally.
“Most importantly, in your works, you remind us that the March for Life is not just a single event that happens on a frigid January day. The March for Life is the work of the pro-life movement every single day from this point forward.”