Canadian star Ellen Page, who rose to fame as lead in teen pregnancy comedy film Juno, has announced he is a transgender whose name is Elliot.
“Hi friends,” Ellen Page wrote on a variety of social media platforms on Tuesday. “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.”
“I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self,” he wrote on Twitter and Instagram.
Before confessing his real identity, Ellen Page (Elliot), now 33 years old, is also known for his roles in the movies “X-Men” and “Inception”, as well as the recent Netflix series “The Umbrella Academy”. He debuted as director last year with the documentary “There’s Something in the Water”.
Ellen “Elliot” Page also spoke of his fear in coming out and highlighted the difficulties faced by less privileged people who have also come out. “I also ask for patience. My joy is real, but it is also fragile. The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate the jokes and of violence.”
He continued that the discrimination towards trans people has resulted to horrific consequences over the years. In 2020 alone, it has reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which were Black and Latin trans women.
Page courageously called out those in positions of power or influence who use their platforms to spew hostility against trans people.
“To the political leaders who work to criminalize trans healthcare and deny our right to exist and to all of those with a massive platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community: you have blood on your hands. You unleash a fury of vile and demeaning rage that lands on the shoulders of the trans community, a community in which 40% of trans adults report attempting suicide. Enough is enough. You aren’t being “cancelled,” you are hurting people. I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks.”
Page came out as gay in an emotional speech on Valentine’s Day 2014, and two years later alleged that filmmaker Brett Ratner had outed him against his will aged 18 on the set of X-Men: The Last Stand. Page has always been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights even before she outed. He even accused Hollywood of double standards on homosexuality, arguing that she should be able to play roles of any sexuality despite her gender preference.
After her announcement on social media, Elliot Page received tremendous support from fellow stars such as Miley Cyrus, Anna Kendrick and Kate Mara. Prominent LGBTQ figure Ellen DeGeneres also commended Elliot Page’s bravery, saying she was inspired by the Juno star’s “strength, courage and honesty”.
The hashtag #Elliot trended number one on Twitter on Tuesday across numerous countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, France, Brazil and Australia. Page was also a trending topic in Russia, a country with a disturbing human rights record when it comes to the LGBTQ.
Shortly after the actor posted his statement, his wife, Emma Portner voiced her public support for him on Instagram.
“I am so proud of @elliotpage. Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world.”
Page and Portner have been married since 2018 in a secret ceremony after dating publicly for six months.
As to her role as cisgender woman Vanya in “The Umbrella Academy”, nothing will change in Elliot Pages’s character in the Netflix hit series.
It is reported that Netflix is now on the process of update Page’s name in the metadata across titles he is involved. The changes on his name should have started reflecting throughout Tuesday on the streaming service.
“Trans actors can and do play both trans and cisgender characters. I’m sure Elliot will continue to be brilliant in Umbrella Academy and many different types of roles in the future,” said Nick Adams, director of transgender media at GLAAD.
