Elliot Page talks about joy of being able to wear suit to Oscars for first time: 'Best I've ever felt'

It's been more than a year since Elliot Page came out as a transgender man and he is now at his happiest. A day after appearing in a dashing suit for the 94th Academy Awards, the actor said he has never felt better. Page said just looking back at the pictures of himself in a suit is such a wonderful feeling of affirmation. Page spoke about himself and his appearance at the Oscars during an Instagram Live with @trans_week. “I feel the best I've ever felt like, like, I feel the way that I really never thought was possible," he said, reported Comic Sands. "I know the challenges I've gone through and I know how difficult it has been for me."

Page also spoke about the Oscars and the joy of being able to wear a suit to the award ceremony. The actor said he was discovering and embracing himself more and more every day. "In the more specific ways, it's wearing a suit last night [to the Academy Awards]," he said. "All those things are really special, wonderful, joyful moments where you’re looking at a photograph and it's really cool to see yourself for the first time—or the person you already saw but here they are, like, they’re f*cking emerging."

He also acknowledged the privilege and resources he has access to that have enabled him with the transition and since. “The enormous amount of privilege, the enormous amount of resources I've had absolutely, unequivocally saved my life — from therapy to my surgery, and so many things between," he said. "Just the degree now that I can feel present, simply that I can feel present in a space without this incessant underlying anxiety or some sort of feeling like I need to flee."

He also addressed anti-LGBTQ laws being passed across the country including Florida's Republican-sponsored controversial "Don't Say Gay" law. “We’re tired of having to say, ‘Oh no, I actually do exist.' It’s an emotional space for people to be in. The misinformation really affects people," he said, before adding that he is always thinking about how he can help the community and use his platform to educate people and raise awareness of the LGBTQ community.

Earlier this week, the actor confirmed his character in “The Umbrella Academy” will come out as a transgender man in Season 3 of the Netflix series. The actor tweeted: "Meet Viktor Hargreeves." Page's character in the last two seasons of the series was a cisgender woman. The character's transition to a transgender man will reflect Page's own identity. Netflix responded, writing, "FEELS SO GOOD TO SAY THIS: Elliot Page stars as Viktor Hargreeves in Umbrella Academy S3!!!"

He came out as a transgender man in December 2020. "All trans people are so different, and my story's absolutely just my story. But yes, when I was a little kid, absolutely, 100%, I was a boy," recalled the actor in an interview with Vanity Fair after coming out as a transgender man. "I knew I was a boy when I was a toddler. 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," he added. 

One of the key milestones for the actor was looking at himself in the mirror after getting top surgery. “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,” said Page, reported MSN. “It’s being able to touch my chest and feel comfortable in my body for the—probably the first time.” Prior to transitioning, Page said he never recognized himself and couldn't bear to even look at a photo of himself. 

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