Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Ron Howard revealed that he sent U.S. Vice President JD Vance a text message following the 2024 presidential election in a new interview withVulture Howard directed an adaptation of Vance's 2016 memoirHillbilly Elegyin 2020 "It remains a bit of a surprise to me," Howard said of Vance's politics since working with him Ron Howardis sharing the contents of a text message he sent U.S. Vice PresidentJD Vanceafter the 2024 presidential election. Howard, 71, briefly discussed Vance, 41, while speaking withVulturefor an interview published Wednesday, Aug. 13 as the legendary filmmaker promotes his upcoming movieEden. Howard and Vance famously worked together on Howard's 2020 movieHillbilly Elegy, which was adapted from Vance's 2016 memoir of the same name. During the interview, Howard was asked what — and if — he thinks about his adaptation ofHillbilly Elegyand the public response to it, now that Vance currently serves asDonald Trump's vice president. "I don't think about it. I know it's a mixed bag and probably quite culturally divided. I also know that reviews were bad and the audience-reaction rating was pretty good," Howard said of the film. When Howard was asked if he and Vance have interacted at all in the years since the movie's release, Howard added, "I did one text, after the election, which was just sort of 'Godspeed. Try to serve us well.' " Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Bill Pugliano/Getty Vance'sHillbilly Elegyis a depiction of his upbringing in Ohio and family's background in Appalachia. Gabriel Bassoportrayed Vance in Howard's movie, while Amy Adams, Glenn Close and Haley Bennett portrayed his mother, grandmother and sister, respectively. The movie wasreceived negatively by critics; it carries just 24% approval from critics onRotten Tomatoes, though 81% of viewers indicate enjoying the film. Elsewhere in Howard'sVultureinterview, he admitted to being caught off guard by Vance's politics since working with him. "It remains a bit of a surprise to me," Howard said. "I would not have seen it coming, and I wouldn't have expected his rhetoric to be as divisive as it sometimes is. By the way, I'm not following him or listening to every word." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Howard'sHillbilly Elegyadaptation released before Vance first embarked on his U.S. Senate campaign in 2021. He was elected to represent Ohio in 2022. Howard previously said that he was "very surprised and disappointed by much of the rhetoric" that Vance ran for vice president with during an interview withDeadlinein September 2024, and he maintained that sentiment while speaking withVulture. "I can't speak to that," Howard said, whenVulturenoted that some have suggested the negative response toHillbilly Elegymay have spurred Vance's turn towardfar-right political beliefs. "When I was working with him, all his quotes about the administration were very public. He was trying to run an investment fund. So the run for Senate and the strategy he's chosen to follow are not what I would've expected." Howard's new movieEdenis in theaters Aug. 22. Read the original article onPeople