Cal Gaunt
Elliot Page says he got a painful infection after being surrounded by ‘a cast full of cis men’ on Inception.
Page, 36, is a Canadian actor known for his roles in films such as Juno and Inception, as well as the TV series Umbrella Academy.
The Hard Candy star made headlines by coming out as transgender in 2020 and is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility in the entertainment industry.
Now, Page has discussed his experiences on the set of Inception and the effects they had on him.
Watch as Elliot Page says undergoing top surgery ‘transformed my life’…
Page shared these candid details about his experiences as a transgender person in his new memoir, ‘Pageboy’.
In the memoir, the Whip It actor reveals that he developed shingles while filming Christopher Nolan’s Inception in 2010, attributing it to the stress he felt at the time regarding his gender identity and s**uality.
Page starred in the film alongside the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy.
The 36-year-old recounts that despite the cast being ‘delightful’ to work with, he felt out of place as the only transgender person in a cast composed entirely of cisgender men.
The pressure of this situation ultimately took a toll on his health, he says, resulting in the painful viral infection known as shingles.
Related Article: Elliot Page Shares Life-Changing Moment In Gay Bar Just Before Starring In Juno
Related Article: Elliot Page Shares Topless Photo To Celebrate ‘The Joy I Feel In My Body’
According to Insider, he writes: “Shingles popped out of my spine while filming Inception when I was twenty-two.
“Despite everyone being delightful to work with, I felt out of place.”
He adds: “In a cast full of cis men, I did not understand the role I found myself in.
“For the first two weeks of the film, I joked I would be recast with Keira Knightley, and rightfully so.”
In Inception, Page played the role of Ariadne, an architecture student tasked with constructing dreamscapes alongside a team of male characters.
It is noteworthy that the An American Crime star filmed the movie more than a decade before publicly coming out as transgender and even before publicly acknowledging his lesbian identity while still living as a female.
In his memoir, Page also delves into his personal relationships, disclosing a secret romance he had at the time of the film’s release with a woman who was part of a queer community.
He explains that he felt unsettled and out of place, struggling to navigate his identity and internalising the resulting chaos.
“I was not settled, I still felt out of place, stirring up the dust. A pinball of projection, I internalised the chaos. It left me feeling bereft of hope,” Page recalls.
“My body hoarded the unexamined emotions, sensations, wants, and needs.
“Easy sentences prepared in my brain, stuck. They were visible to me, written out, I heard the voice but my mouth refused to cooperate. Just the tick tick tick of the windup toy, or nothing at all.”
Page’s memoir further reveals an affair with actress Kate Mara, who was dating Max Minghella at the time.
Reflecting on this relationship, Page acknowledges that it occurred during a period of exploration and heartbreak shortly after publicly coming out as gay.
Related Article: Elliot Page Fans Stunned At How Much His Voice Has Changed As He Shares New Video
Related Article: Elliot Page Deadname Sparks Controversy On Twitter
He describes a recurring pattern of falling for people who were emotionally unavailable, a dynamic that resonated with his experiences.
In addition, Page shares intimate details about his time filming Juno, disclosing a s**ual relationship with co-star Olivia Thirlby.
According to Page, they engaged in s**ual encounters in various locations, including hotel rooms, trailers on set, and a private room in a restaurant.
Page expresses that playing a pregnant teenager in Juno provided a sense of autonomy and liberation on set, as it allowed him to transcend traditional gender expectations.
His memoir, ‘Pageboy’, was released on June 6, and offers readers a deeply personal and introspective account of his journey as a transgender individual within the entertainment industry.
Watch our Video of the Day below…
Do you have a story for us? If so, email us at [email protected]. All contact will be treated in confidence.
