The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page announces he is transgender in an open letter. The Oscar-nominated actor first showed themselves to be an acting force to be reckoned with in the 2005 film Hard Candy, playing a teenager who suspects a man of kidnapping underage girls and endeavors to prove it. Page was nominated for an Oscar for 2007's Juno, in which he played a high schooler facing an unwanted pregnancy and needing to decide what to do with the baby.
In recent years, Page has been one of the stars of Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, in which he plays Vanya Hargreeves, the most powerful of the Hargreeves siblings. Season 1 followed the family as they attempted to stop the apocalypse, learning too late that it was Vanya who causes it. The Umbrella Academy season 2 released over the summer and saw the Hargreeves siblings sent back in time and needing to navigate the 1960s. The Umbrella Academy was renewed for season 3 at Netflix and is currently in the works.
Today, Page posted an open letter on Twitter coming out as a non-binary transgender person, and confirming his pronouns are he/they. In the letter, they write, "I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer." Read his full letter below.
The official Netflix Twitter responded to Page's tweet, supporting the actor's announcement and expressing excitement about their return for The Umbrella Academy season 3. Page's Umbrella Academy co-star Justin H. Min also responded on Twitter, quote-tweeting Page's initial post and writing, "Welcome to the fam, elliot," along with a heart emoji. See Netflix and Min's tweets below.
In addition to his joyful message about feeling supported enough to pursue his "authentic self," Page also took the opportunity to speak about discrimination toward trans folks, and "those with a massive platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community." Though it's unclear exactly who Page may be referring to, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling came under fire this year for her anti-trans comments. Many actors from the movie franchise based on her books spoke out against her views - including Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe. Still, Rowling isn't the only person with a big platform who voices anti-trans views and it's no doubt that Page wanted to avoid specifying anyone because this moment shouldn't be about them, it should be about Page.
To that end, it's wonderful to see Page receiving plenty of support from Netflix and his co-star. As of now, it's unclear if Page's own experiences will be incorporated into The Umbrella Academy season 3 at all. Vanya's gender identity has never been explicitly discussed on the show, though the character uses she/her pronouns. Given the lack of trans representation in the TV landscape, there's certainly room for a trans narrative on The Umbrella Academy, but whether that happens remains to be seen. The Umbrella Academy season 3 is expected to start filming early next year so more information about Vanya's future may be revealed. Until then, congratulations are in order for Page.
Source: Elliot Page/Twitter