It has been quite the journey, but Elliot Page is finally at peace in his own skin. The actor, known for his roles in films like Juno and Inception and the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, came out as transgender in December 2020 and has been vocal about his transition in hopes of helping others seeking gender-affirming care. Ahead of the release of his new memoir Pageboy on June 6, the actor and activist revealed that at the age of 36, he is finally feeling a sense of “trans joy.”
“Today I definitely feel a way that I never thought I would get to feel,” he told People. “I think that mostly manifests in how present I feel. The sort of ease and the ability to exist. There’s been periods in my life where I really felt like I wasn’t. We talk about trans joy and euphoria and all of those things and so much of it is in the stillness. I just feel so lucky.”
But it wasn’t an easy path to the stillness for Page. “There’s obviously been very difficult moments. I do feel like I kind of barely made it in many ways,” he said. “But today, I’m just me and grateful to be here and alive and taking one step at a time.”
In his memoir Pageboy, he reveals that he was verbally assaulted at a party shortly after coming out as gay in 2014. He briefly dated Kate Mara and was in at least one “secret” relationship where he and a former co-star he calls “Ryan” would leave hotels from different doors to avoid being photographed together.
“Some of my friends didn’t even know I was in a relationship. And I was in a relationship where we were in a relationship for a decent amount of time. I mean, that is next level,” he explained to People.
And while navigating queer dating can be tricky (to say the least), Page hopes that his memoir helps other people in the LGBTQIA+ community who might be struggling — especially in light of the anti-trans laws quickly passing throughout the U.S.
“Books, particularly memoirs, have really shifted my life, offered me inspiration, comfort, been humbling, all of those things. And I think this period of not just hate, of course, but misinformation or just blatant lies about LGTBQ+ lives, about our healthcare, it felt like the right time.”
Of course, Page knows that his experience is a privileged one compared to other trans people, but that is why he is fighting even harder for representation and visibility.
“My experience as a trans person and this life I have, and the privilege I have does not represent the reality of most trans lives.” Nevertheless, representation and visibility are important, he explained. “I think it’s crucial, I think we need to feel represented and see ourselves, you know, that’s not something I had like as a kid. The reality is, trans people disproportionately are unemployed, disproportionately experience homelessness. Trans women of color are being murdered. People are losing their healthcare or couldn’t access it.”
Page’s memoir drops on June 6, but it is available for pre-order now. “Full of intimate stories, from chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and struggling with familial strife, Pageboy is a love letter to the power of being seen,” reads the book’s official description. “With this evocative and lyrical debut, Oscar-nominated star Elliot Page captures the universal human experience of searching for ourselves and our place in this complicated world.”
Before you go, click here to see LGBTQ celebrities who came out later in life.
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