Elliot Page Reflects on Coming Out, 'Gamechanger' Transition Journey

With the final season of his hit Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy" premiering soon, Elliot Page opened up about how much better his life is post-transition, and how his happier life now reflects in his art.

"The Hollywood star – who transitioned 13 years after shooting to global stardom in the hit movie 'Juno' – admitted he was 'so miserable' before taking the brave steps during a recent interview with Them," UK newspaper the Daily Mail reported.

Page described feeling "miserable" before he came out as transgender and then underwent gender confirmation treatment.

"And now you're like, 'What? This is great,'" Page said of being a trans man who has transitioned. "I don't mind. This is kind of cool."

To illustrate his point about how even everyday life has improved for him, Page cited his experience at a Cardi B concert, the Mail relayed.

"I'm this 37-year-old dude in a stadium, jumping up and down and screaming," Elliot described, "and it felt so nice to be like, 'Here I am!'"

The Mail recalled Page told podcaster Jay Shetty last autumn that transitioning had been a "gamechanger" for him, and he explained how.

"For significant periods of my life I struggled to function on a pretty basic level," Page related of his pre-transition life. "I couldn't see the future because I didn't know how much longer I would last feeling that way."

Page has stated before that his gender transition was lifesaving, and in the interview with Them he also acknowledged how the transgender community "led the way in creating a world where I can actually exist," adding, "I wouldn't be here without those things."

The acclaimed actor and memoirist reckoned that without that, "I think I probably would've faded away."

Detailing his pre-transition life for Them, Page painted a picture of mental anguish and emotional turmoil.

"I think it was just actually too much," the native-born Canadian said about contemplating coming out and transitioning, "the concept of going through something like that publicly, and then being an actor."

"My brain was definitely doing what it could to get close, but then [would] weave around," Page continued. "The dysphoria was so bad, and I would constantly verbalize and think about it, but I still somehow managed to convince myself like, no, no, no."

But when "no" became "yes," Page's life and career became their own affirmations – to the point that the two directly influenced each other. Page had already been in the first two seasons of "The Umbrella Academy" when he transitioned, and his character, Viktor, transitioned along with him.

"After the actor, 37, came out as a transgender in December 2020, Page's character was reintroduced to fans as Viktor Hargreeves in season 3, which Page says helped him feel 'so much better' acting on set," People Magazine relayed.

"That's been the big shift for me is having a lot of my experience post coming out as trans," Page told the entertainment news outlet, "or even this last season having been on T [testosterone] for a bit."

"The difference is so significant, and I love it," the actor added. "Hopefully, I'll continue to get to act and see how it impacts my work."

Of Viktor's story arc, Page said: "To play this character and to know that where he started at the beginning of this whole show, just so folded in on himself, he hardly knew how to talk to people or connect with people and then now we really see him more solid in himself."

"It felt really good to see him really step into himself and have a new sense of self-worth," added Page.

"The Umbrella Academy" isn't the only artistic project in which Page's life is reflected in his art. He also stars in and produces the feature film "Close to You," which is slated for wide release on Aug. 16. Page also has a story credit for the film.

Page plays Sam, a young trans man who travels back to his hometown for a family gathering even though not everyone among his relations is supportive. But family tensions are only part of what Sam encounters; he also has an unexpected reunion with a high school friend for whom he still carries a torch.

The fourth and final season of "The Umbrella Academy" streams on Netflix starting today, Aug. 8. Watch the trailer below.