Life has only got better and better for actor Elliot Page since coming out as transgender, saying it has improved his life “drastically’’
The 35-year-old Umbrella Academy star and Oscar nominee opened up about feeling a “degree of joy” that he never thought possible during an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Myers asked Page about the reaction he’s received since he came out as trans in December 2020, as some in the general public have made negative comments, despite Page’s family staying positive and supportive.
“What I want to focus on right now and has been so extraordinary is the degree of joy that I feel, the degree of presence that I feel,” Page replied.
“I feel a way that I really never thought possible for a long, long time.”
“But, of course, moments can be overwhelming,” Page continued.
“I feel like it’s one of those things where it’s so unfortunate because it’s like, we’re all on the same team here.
“You know? Whether you’re trans, nonbinary, you know, gender-nonconforming, cis, we all have these expectations and these sort of limits and constraints because of, yes, sort of people’s obsession … with the binary and how we’re all supposed to live our lives.
“It’d be so special for us to all be able to connect and talk about how similar we are in all of our journeys.”
About transitioning, Page added: “It’s improved my life drastically,” also adding that he believed it had improved his acting considerably.
“I hope maybe people who do have an issue with me can maybe try and hear that and embrace that on some level,” he said.
Mirroring Page’s own real-life experience, his character on the Netflix superhero series Umbrella Academy, who was previously female, also comes out as transgender in the new season, which premiered on Wednesday.
Originally Vanya Hargreeves, Page’s character will be Viktor moving forward.
Speaking to Myres, Page revealed how he’s “pleased” with the way the show’s writer Steve Blackman dealt with the transition storyline.
“When we first talked about it, he seemed really excited about incorporating it into the show.” He also described Blackman as “just incredible and a wonderful person.”
Page plans to release a memoir, ‘Pageboy’ about his transition journey later this year, that will “delve into his relationship with his body”.
