Elliot Page Takes Joy in Trans Identity, Pride in Umbrella Academy

Elliot Page is feeling joy in his transmasculine identity and pride in how The Umbrella Academy incorporated it into the new season of the show, the actor said Tuesday on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

Meyers asked Page about the reaction he's received since he came out as trans in December 2020, as some in the general public have made negative comments, although Page's loved ones have been supportive. "What I want to focus on right now and has been so extraordinary is the degree of joy that I feel, the degree of presence that I feel," Page replied. "I feel a way that I really never thought possible for a long, long time."

"But, of course, moments can be overwhelming," Page continued. "I feel like it's one of those things where it's so unfortunate because it's like, we're all on the same team here. You know? Whether you're trans, nonbinary, you know, gender-nonconforming, cis, we all have these expectations and these sort of limits and constraints because of, yes, sort of people's obsession ... with the binary and how we're all supposed to live our lives. ... It'd be so special for us to all be able to connect and talk about how similar we are in all of our journeys."

Transitioning "has improved my life drastically," Page said, and enhanced his acting. "I hope maybe people who do have an issue with me can maybe try and hear that and embrace that on some level," he said.

Page's character on The Umbrella Academy, formerly Vanya Hargreeves, will be Viktor Hargreeves going forward. In the new season, which drops Wednesday on Netflix, Viktor comes out to his superpowered siblings as they discuss their new adversaries, the Sparrow Academy. "It's who I've always been," Viktor says in the second episode.

Page is pleased with how showrunner Steve Blackman dealt with the transition storyline. "When we first talked about it, he seemed really excited about incorporating it into the show," Page told Meyers, also calling Blackman "just incredible and a wonderful person."

Trans athlete and writer Thomas Page McBee also assisted, Page said. McBee, the first trans man to box in Madison Square Garden, is author of the book Amateur, which deals with "masculinity and what it means and exploring that," so he "came on board and helped out," Page said.

"I feel proud of it and excited for people to see it," Page said of the new season.