Elliot Page has returned to the big screen and he is set to star in his first shirtless scene since transitioning in Close To You.
The actor, 36, stars in his first scripted feature film in the last six years, which he created the story for and produced, telling the story of a trans man, Sam, who reconnects with a former flame while traveling to the suburbs of Canada for a difficult reunion with his family.
The project, directed by Dominic Savage, is Elliot's first movie since he came out as trans in 2020, and marks another milestone as it is his first shirtless scene.
The film begins with the quietly powerful scene showing a shirtless Sam getting out of bed and looking out of the window, before putting clothes on and heading downstairs to get a drink.
While the scene may not be anything out of the ordinary, showing a man going through his morning routine, it marks a poignant moment as it is the first time Elliot will appear on screen living as his authentic self.
He told EW of the importance of the scene, explaining: "Shooting on the day, I was getting out of bed and getting dressed, it was sort of clumsy, like, 'Oh, it would be great, he sleeps shirtless.'
"In the moment when you're making this, you're making it from this instinctual place that I don't know how to describe. It just sort of happens, but at the same time, it just felt natural."
Elliot added: "Showing this dude who's comfortable and present and waking up in his body, that means a lot to me. I never thought I'd feel that way, so it's nice to get to act it."
The actor also revealed that the experience of working on Close To You was "liberating" and will forever be a highlight of his career as it is the most comfortable he has felt in a character.
He explained: "The way I get to feel working now is far more embodied coming from that foundation, versus entering and not feeling that way. It's a huge shift. Doing something like this, complete improv, before, would've been close to impossible.
"The sensation of being able to do it and feel that present enough to do it, I just felt exhilarated every day. What a special film to do, first time [back on film], because it lets you feel embodied to the extreme."
The Juno and Umbrella Academy actor revealed that it was a different experience watching back his performance and seeing himself so at ease within the character, when in the past he has struggled.
Elliot revealed that past roles had left him feeling "uncomfortable", which in turn led to a stiffer performance, and found starring in Christopher Nolan's Inception so stressful it brought out shingles.
The director added that he approaches each scene with little structure to allow the actors to play the scene however they feel is more natural, including difficult moments such a Sam confronting a transphobic in-law or correcting his mother's usage of pronouns.
We can't wait to see Elliot in the role.
The official release date for Close To You is yet to be confirmed.
