Umbrella Academy Star Elliot Page Has Come Out as Trans

The actor Elliot Page, best known for performances in Netflix's cult hit The Umbrella Academy, and the feature films Juno and Inception, just came out as a transgender man. He confirmed that he will now go by the name Elliot, and use he/they pronouns moving forward.

Page made the announcement in a moving open letter that he shared with his followers on Twitter and Instagram, expressing how happy he feels to be able to share his identity with the world, while also asking for patience and respect as he progresses into this new chapter.

"I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life," he wrote. "I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society."

He also took the opportunity to shine a light on a number of important issues that continue to face LGBTQ+ people, such as the disproportionate violence that Black and Latinx trans women experience, and the way that trans people continue to be vilified by many political figures. Having now joined the very small number of visible, openly transgender celebrities, Page pledged to use his platform to advocate for the most marginalized members of the community.

Page was previously one of the most famous openly gay working actors in Hollywood, and has played queer characters in multiple projects, including The Umbrella Academy and My Days of Mercy. He has also been a vocal campaigner for the LGBTQ+ community for several years; his VICE docu-series, Gaycation, explored different queer communities and subcultures around the world, and he has continually leveraged his fame to raise awareness of issues like conversion therapy and speak out against homophobic and transphobic rhetoric in the media.