The Umbrella Academy actor has been praised as a ‘role model’ for his insightful comments.
Elliot Page is inspiring audiences to tears with the heartfelt advice he wishes he could have given his younger self.
Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page, publicly came out as transgender in 2020 and began his transition shortly after.
In his memoir Pageboy, he shares the struggles he faced with shame regarding his identity.
“Shame had been drilled into my bones since I was my tiniest self, and I struggled to rid my body of that old toxic and erosive marrow,” Page wrote.
In his memoir, Elliot Page also recalls the first time he kissed a girl. He writes about meeting Paula when he was twenty, describing the moment vividly:
“I met Paula when I was twenty. Sitting on our friend’s couch, eating raw almonds with her knees to her chest, she introduced herself, ‘I’m Paula.’ The sound of her voice radiated warmth, a kindness.
“It wasn’t so much that her eyes lit up but that they found you. I could feel her looking. We went to Reflections. It was the first time I had been to a gay bar, and would be my last for a long time.”
In a recent interview, Page was asked what advice he would give to his younger self. His response, shared in a video on the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Instagram, left many in tears.
“My message to my younger self would be, just like, ‘You know who you are, and please embrace that,'” Page said.
“I understood my truth,” Elliot Page continued. “I felt it very strongly, and it was all of these external forces and noises that pushed and pulled, and made me sort of lose track of who I was.
“I guess to my younger self, I’d say that the discomfort and pain you’re feeling—that is not yours. That is theirs. And to just keep going on the journey of embracing who you truly are.
“That’s what’s going to lead you to happiness,” Page concluded, delivering a powerful and poignant message.
The Umbrella Academy star has since received widespread praise for his words.
One person wrote, “What a peaceful, loving response. Such a king and role model.”
“Such wonderful, intelligent words,” a second added.
Another person shared, “Thank you for living in your truth and liberating yourself. You know who you are more than anyone else in this world. Thank you for sharing your story; it could save a life.”
