Elliot Page has opened up about the heartfelt advice he wishes he could give his younger self.
The Umbrella Academy star, who came out as transgender in 2020, shared his emotional reflection while joining the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) outside the Supreme Court to champion the rights of trans young people.
In a powerful video posted by the ACLU, the 37-year-old offered a moving message aimed at his younger self: “You know who you are, and please embrace that. I understood my truth."
"I felt it very strongly, and it was all of these external forces and noises that pushed and pulled, and made me sort of lose track of who I was."
He continued: “I guess to my younger self I’d say that the discomfort and pain you’re feeling - that is not yours. That is theirs. And to just keep going on the journey of embracing who you truly are. That’s what’s going to lead you to happiness.”
Elliot Page came out as transgender in 2020. Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty
Page's Letter Announcing His Transition
The Oscar-nominated actor has been a powerful voice in the LGBTQ+ community for many years.
In December 2020, the Canadian-born star shared a letter to fans revealing that he was transgender, and introduced himself as Elliot Page.
“Hi friends, 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," he wrote.
The Juno actor said he could not "begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self," adding: "I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer."
He also used the post to address discrimination towards trans people: "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."
"To be clear, I am not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I celebrate, but I want to address the full picture. The statistics are staggering."
Addressing the trans community, Page said he would "do everything I can to change this world for the better".
Reuniting with Christopher Nolan
Alongside his advocacy work, Page is making a return to the big screen in a high-profile project: The Odyssey, director Christopher Nolan’s ambitious upcoming adaptation of Homer’s epic poem.
Page will appear in an undisclosed role, joining an all-star cast that includes Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron.
Speaking at New York Comic Con, the actor reflected on working with Nolan again after their collaboration on Inception in 2010: “I was so excited to be thought of for [The Odyssey] and to be asked to come back to work with him," per Variety.
"I loved working with him on Inception and loved being a part of that movie. I was just completely jazzed and excited… It was such a joy to come back," he added.
Page noted that this time around felt particularly special: “To come back now, as you can imagine, being more comfortable in yourself makes these sorts of projects more enjoyable.
"To get to have a Chris Nolan experience again now meant so much to me selfishly.”
Elliot Page. Credit: Craig Barritt/Getty
According to IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond, Nolan’s The Odyssey will make history as the first film ever to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras - a technical milestone the director pushed for personally.
“Chris called me up and said if you can figure out how to solve the problems, I will make it 100 per cent in IMAX,” Gelfond explained, per The Independent.
“And that’s what we’re doing. He forced us to rethink that side of our business, our film recorders, our film cameras. So, this will be the first film ever, at least filmed 100 per cent, with IMAX cameras,” he added.