Elliot Page has sent a strong message to Hollywood about portraying trans actors and characters on screen.
Page, 37, who shot to fame with film roles such as Juno and X-Men: The Last Stand, openly came out as a trans man in 2020, with his character on Netflix's The Umbrella Academy also transitioning on screen to reflect his identity.
Since coming out, Page has made history as the first trans man on the cover of TIME magazine and has also written best-selling memoir Pageboy about their mental health and journey to embrace their identity.
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Ahead of the final season of The Umbrella Academy airing later this month, Page sat down with his co-star Emmy Raver Lampman for an interview with Extra TV about the series, where Page was able to open up on how meaningful it was for the show to embrace his identity.
"I feel so grateful to the show that me coming out as trans was welcomed, included and not something that was pushed away," the actor, who uses he and they pronouns, explained.
"I loved playing Victor for these four seasons and having Victor transition as I was transitioning knowing first hand how much it has meant to people... I'll never forget it."
Responding to a question about how his 'personal journey' has influenced how he approaches roles as an actor, Page went on to add that he's 'so thankful' for being able to 'live this life' and hopes it's something which he can bring into his work.
"As an actor to be able to step in these places from this new place, this new ability to be present is just a dream come true.
"I feel a way that I never thought was possible... so I'm excited that hopefully I can show that in work if people want to cast a trans guy."
Outside of his role as Viktor Hargreeves, Page has appeared in film and TV projects such as Tales of the City, Ark: The Animated Series and Backspot.
He has also co-written, produced and starred in upcoming movie Close to You; a drama film which sees Page play the leading role of Sam, a trans man who has returned to his hometown for the first time in years.
Meanwhile, the final season of The Umbrella Academy will premiere on 8 August, with all of the episodes releasing at the same time.
Netflix revealed the trailer last month, with the final six episodes promising plenty more action for the Hargreeves siblings.
Topics: LGBTQ, TV and Film, Netflix
Brenna Cooper