In an emotional interview with Oprah Winfrey, Elliot Page recalls the happiest moment since the start of his transition to become a transgender man.
The 34-year-old actor, known for roles in the movie "Juno" and Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy," opened up about the experience in his first TV interview since coming out as trans in December 2020. Their conversation was filmed for the media mogul's Apple TV+ series "The Oprah Conversation" and will start streaming on Friday.
When asked what part of his transition has brought him the most joy, Page said, "Getting out of the shower and the towel's around your waist and you're looking at yourself in the mirror and you're just like, 'There I am.' And I'm not having the moment where I'm panicked."
This past March, three months after coming out on social media, Page revealed to TIME magazine that he had undergone top surgery.
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"It's being able to touch my chest and feel comfortable in my body for the- probably the first time," the actor told Winfrey, tearing up. "Tears of joy."
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Page also talked to Vanity Fair about growing up knowing his true gender identity, saying that as a child he knew "absolutely, 100%," that he was a boy.
"I knew I was a boy when I was a toddler," the actor said. "I was writing fake love letters and signing them 'Jason.' Every little aspect of my life, that is who I was, who I am, and who I knew myself to be. I just couldn't understand when I'd be told, 'No, you're not. No, you can't be that when you're older.' You feel it. Now I'm finally getting myself back to feeling like who I am, and it's so beautiful and extraordinary, and there's a grief to it in a way."
Page also spoke to Winfrey about why he decided to detail his coming out journey publicly.
"In this time we're in right now, and especially with this horrible backlash we're seeing towards trans people, particularly trans youth," he said. "It really felt imperative to do so.
"It felt important and selfish for myself and my own wellbeing and my mental health and also with this platform, I have the privilege that I have and knowing the pain, and the difficulties and the struggles I faced in my life, let alone what so many other people are facing, it absolutely felt just crucial and important for me to share that."
Elliot told Vanity Fair, "The rhetoric coming from anti-trans activists and anti-LGBTQ activists – it's devastating. These bills are going to be responsible for the death of children. It is that simple. So [talking to Oprah] felt like an opportunity to use a wide-reaching platform to speak from my heart about some of my experience and the resources I've been able to access--whether therapy or surgery--that have allowed me to be alive, to live my life."
