Writer Thomas Page McBee has explained how he and The Umbrella Academy worked to introduce 'the most high-profile transgender man on TV' through Elliot Page's character, Viktor Hargreeves.
Viktor is introduced in the third series of hit Netflix show, which began streaming this month, following Page's announcement in 2020 when he told the world he was transgender and used the pronouns 'he/they'.
Shortly after sharing his news, Page introduced writer McBee, who is also trans, to The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman.
In an article for Esquire, McBee explained Blackman was 'passionate' about incorporating Page's transition into the show, but that the scripts for the third series were already locked, with production set to start in two weeks.
As Page's character in the show had already been established over the first two series, McBee explained his transition had to come as a 'texture' rather than a defining trait of his character.
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It also had to happen on the show, meaning he would have to realise his gender identity within the first episodes of the third series.
McBee described how the creators wanted to show an 'organic' transition that worked together with the character's existing story arcs.
After discussing with Page how Viktor may discover his gender identity, Blackman and McBee used the actor's insights to come up with an 'economical narrative' which could work with existing scenes, and which echoed where Page was in the transition process while filming.
As well as considering how Viktor's story would play out, Blackman worked to display how the family might react to their brother’s news.
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Page first introduced Viktor to fans of The Umbrella Academy with a post on Instagram, where he showed a picture of his character with short hair and wrote: "Meet Viktor Hargreeves."
The announcement was met with an abundance of support from fans, with many saying they were excited to meet Viktor.
One commenter wrote: "This season is going to incredible and because of @elliotpage it make [sic] me even prouder to be a trans man."
Page has told Esquire he 'loves' making The Umbrella Academy and said the show taught him how 'special it is to play one character for so long'.
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"All of us have gone through a lot. Years have gone by, and we’ve changed and grown in our own ways. I love watching the growth happen alongside the show, our personalities interweaving and all of us having our own moments. I’m just learning to love the whole journey of it," Page continued.
The Umbrella Academy series three is now streaming.
Topics: Netflix, TV and Film, LGBTQ, Celebrity
Emily Brown