Since coming out as transgender in December, Elliot Page has kept a low profile, but on Tuesday, Time shared a new interview with the Oscar-nominated actor. From the interview, it’s clear that Page feels the most comfortable in himself he’s ever been. He showed off his brand-new short haircut in an adorable photoshoot with his dog, Mo. But most importantly, Page talked about what it feels like to finally be seen as who he is.
In the interview, Page talks about the aftermath of coming out. He notes that it was a mostly positive experience; he gained more than 400,000 new followers on Instagram and casting directors reached out to his manager “saying it would be an honor to cast Page in their next big movie.” But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t also have to deal with bigots: “What I was anticipating was a lot of support and love and a massive amount of hatred and transphobia. That’s essentially what happened,”said Page.
Page told Time’s Katy Steinmetz that he recalled wanting to be a boy at a young age, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that he realized he couldn’t avoid his feelings about his gender identity, leading to his announcement. Page also got into his gender dysphoria while working on Hollywood sets where he was expected to look feminine. He noted that he didn’t know “how to explain to people that even though [I was] an actor, just putting on a T-shirt cut for a woman would make me so unwell.” His Whip It co-star and close friend Alia Shawkat also added that she recalls Page’s discomfort with the clothes he was given. “I’d be like, ‘Hey, look at all these nice outfits you’re getting,’ and he would say, ‘It’s not me. It feels like a costume,’” said the actor. At one point in his career, Page decided to mindfully go for roles that allowed him to dress masculinely.
But with the freedom of having shared his authentic self in the industry, Page now feels more comfortable on set. He recently started filming the new season of Umbrella Academy, and Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman has noticed a positive change in Page’s demeanor. “It seems like there’s a tremendous weight off his shoulders, a feeling of comfort. There’s a lightness, a lot more smiling,” said Blackman to Time. It’s great to see Page happy and those casting directors better keep their word.