via his instagram that he is a transgender man. star of the x—men series and hit films, juno, and inception, as well as netflix super—hit, the umbrella academy, page has enjoyed the career heights actors could only dream of — all the time crushed under the weight of a secret identity battle. now he's ready to share even more about his life, and he's invited us for a sit—down chat to talk about his gender, his mental health, and his career in hollywood. elliot page, welcome to the bbc. thank you so much for speaking to us. thanks for having me, for wanting to talk.

how are you doing right now? i'm doing pretty good, yeah! so we're here to talk about your book, pageboy. yourfirst book, your memoir. what made you want to write the book now? gosh! well, one of the reasons was that it really felt possible for the first time. in the past, before stepping into my truth, being in this body, there's no way i could have sat down and been still with myself long enough to focus and to do something like this. so just the act of being able to do that, being able to create, feeling this all come out, was so exhilarating. and in this time now, where there'sjust, you know, horrific attacks towards the trans community, constant misinformation and lies about our lives.

and having this platform that i do have, it felt like the right time, i suppose, to share my story, especially in knowing how much it's meant to me when people have shared theirs. there's a beautiful quote in it by someone i hadn't heard before. the quote is, "this world has many ends and beginnings. "a cycle ends. will something remain? "maybe a spark once so bright will bloom again." yeah. so beautiful. could you tell us who beverly glenn—copeland is, and why you chose that? yeah. yes. he's a... huge fan of his. incredible musician, a black trans elder, who's had an extraordinary sort of story and life. and that is from a song called a song and many moons. i really, really resonated with those words. in my life, in so many points, i'd find myself going, like, "i was never a girl.

i'll never be a woman." like, "what am i going to do?" "i just want to be a ten—year—old boy." like, i... and i would say this a lot. and then i started realising, oh, that's cos that's the last time i felt like myself and felt like i looked like myself and was in my body and knew who i was and had this spark, you know? and now i'm finally feeling that spark again. it's coming back? it's coming back. the book touches on so many themes, but one that really jumped out at me is the idea of redefining masculinity. what does that mean to you? gosh. i guess it means to me in so many ways about how, you know, whether we're trans or cis or straight or queer, we're all brought into this world and sort of immediately indoctrinated and put in a box and told how we're supposed to be and how we're supposed to act, etc. and, you know, men in so many ways are encouraged to, you know, not be emotional, not share feelings. you know, being aggressive is encouraged. and, of course, we have toxic masculinity as a result

of that. you know, for myself, being able to find my truth and authentic self and be able to exist the way i want to exist in the world, i — you know, i hope that for everyone and i hope in so many ways those expectations of what it means to be a man, what masculinity means, can also be redefined and healed. you grew up in canada, and we've got a global audience, and they might not all have the image in their head of what halifax or nova scotia was like. what was that like, growing up in a place like that? yeah. growing there... yeah! halifax, nova scotia, you know, beautiful place. yeah. there was very little representation when i was growing up.

you know, almost none where i was, that it was... i didn't really have examples of queerness or transness in my life, hardly whatsoever, to be honest. because i think a lot of us can identify with this — that you find the one person in the community that's closest like you, and you just find ways to spend time around them. it's a universal experience in communities where we feel that we can't be ourselves. yeah, yeah, yeah. i definitely felt myself getting pulled to individuals who i knew were — or in retrospect were — you know, queer. and even those little, you know, sparks of... ..a feeling reflected, or seeing someone who might be having a similar experience to me, that's something that continued through my teen years, absolutely. and really reinforces the importance of community, because even those tiny sparks or moments meant so much.

and then i held on to them. and, erm... it's — yeah, it's such a crucial part of us figuring out who we are and making it through the world, you know? you struck me as quite a shy, private boy growing up. you talk about private play. that doesn't. .. maybe i'm seeing this wrong, because i'm not around a lot of actors, but that doesn't sort of naturally strike itself with someone who would then go on to act or perform to the world. am i viewing it wrong?

no, it's sort of — you know, it happened relatively accidentally when i was ten. a gentleman came to my school looking for kids to audition for a movie, a cbc movie of the week. but i wasn't, like, drama club. and i did always want my mum to take me to the school plays, even if it was the older kids. and i probably had no idea what was even going on in the play. i was clearly fixated on it and i think for me it definitely... ..allowed for some kind of an escape to a degree. and i don't know if that was a way, like an escape from myself, or having the space where you got to feel... ..just feel your true emotions. but something in me, i guess, was always attracted to the idea of it, and then itjust sort of naturally progressed. what was that like — kind of first seeing yourself on tv and kind of going through a childhood then, in the public eye?

yeah, well, ifeel like i got kind of lucky that it was in canada, so it was definitely not, i think, the same as if it happened here. by here, i mean hollywood — we're in hollywood. and that visibility is obviously much more intense, i think. so i feel lucky that i was acting, but still had a pretty kind of regular life. but it was an interesting time because it was thrilling and exciting. i felt so lucky to be doing it. i was having a lot of fun doing it, but that was this interesting time where i became an actor at ten, a professional actor at ten. and ten was probably the age when i kind of first was really looking like myself. like, i'd sort of burnt my mom out to a degree to, like, be wearing the clothes i wanted and have the haircut i wanted and all these things. and then there was a shift, of course, because then i became an actor and i

was playing all these, you know, female roles. and so... ..it was this juxtaposition of really enjoying acting, the escape of it, what it brought into my life, all the people i met. and, erm... but the complication was the discomfort that came with it. and even if i was playing a part... ..that didn't — you know, that didn't really make a difference, so to speak, because... you know, the thought is, "well, you're an actor, "just..." just do the role? "..do the role, put on the clothes, etc." but that progressively became

more and more challenging. it's incredibly hard to explain to people. it's hard to explain to yourself, you know, why do i feel this way? why am i so uncomfortable all the time? how can i be so ungrateful to be having this experience in this life and... ..be pretty unhappy? we spoke about gender and shared the degree of my discomfort. even when i was playing a role, i couldn't wear feminine clothes any more. how i always struggled in the summer when layers were not an option, and the presence of my breasts under my t—shirt forced me to incessantly crane my neck, sneaking quick peeks down. i would pull on my shirt, my posture folded. walking down the sidewalk, i'd glance at a store window to check my profile. my brain consumed. i had to avoid my reflection. i couldn't look at pictures,

because i was never there. like you said, we're in hollywood right now. and i read in the book you say it's more of a myth. not a place, it's a concept. which is totally true — i'd not... because, to me, it's a place. but, actually, you're right, it's a concept. and ifelt, i have to say, reading it, ifelt very defensive to you when i heard about, you know, as a young child, what you had gone through. you mean in regards to the industry? in regards to the questions being asked about your sexuality. those comments to a child. what is it about this industry that, you know, that's so aware of image, that seems to be doing this to young lgbt people? i don't know. like, a lack of empathy, i suppose. i don't know the impulse, particularly when people don't know individual situations, where they're at with it,

where they are in their journey, you know, potentially the consequences of what that could mean for themselves and in their lives. and i'd say, you know, potentially things are a bit better. the articles you're referencing that came out in 2008, i imagine if those came out now about someone, i mean, they'd be probably a bit eviscerated for writing something like that, you know. but, yeah, it's still... i don't know why there's such a... ..why aspects of hollywood are just still so far behind in so many ways. how much of that noise do you listen to on, you know, parts of social media, the lies, the hateful rhetoric, the certain parts that use trans people for clickbait or, you know, as a political football. imean...

how much do you take in? well, i mean, if you... you know, if you look at the news, you can't avoid it. you know, you don't even have to go into the social media sphere — which i do try my best to just avoid. it's not healthy to look at, of course. but, yeah. i mean, you have, like, you know, mainstream publications and, you know, progressive publications that, you know, perpetuate these, you know, views that suggest that our lives are up for debate or whether us using the bathroom is up for debate or, you know... i mean, the list goes on and on. there's days where i'm like — i actuallyjust can't look at the news because i can't see another guy... i mean, i always want to stay informed and be, you know, aware and up to date on what's going on, of course.

but there's also some days that are like, i can't, just for my mental health, engage with... ..this harmful, harmful rhetoric. you announced your transition on instagram in 2020. how would you look back on that time now? 0h. i mean, it was a time that was... ..full of... ..tremendous relief, in so many ways. like... .."0h, my god." like, i finally got here, and i finally let myself be myself. because, i mean, years and years of turmoil about it, of getting really close and then pulling away, talking myself out of it, you know, itjust feeling too big.

and being a public person and being an actor and what would that even look like to go through, you know? "oh, you just need to learn to be more comfortable, "get the tighter sports bras, you know, this new haircut, "this new clothing, whatever." like, just... anything to make you feel yourself. yeah. and so it was, you know, an incrediblyjoyful period. and it was also quite overwhelming, of course. so, yeah, it was... it was definitely a beautiful, but also an intense time. really overwhelming. you said in your post that one of the things you wanted to do was use your platform to elevate the voices of other trans people around the world. why is that important to you? oh, gosh. well, i mean... you know, i think of the moments i have that have been really difficult. you know. in some ways i do feel i barely made it.

and i think of what i've gone through, despite my privilege, the resources i have to access health care, you know, mental—health care and other gender—affirming care. and... i'm, you know, in this position where it's just, you know, to me, there's no question i absolutely have to use my privilege and my platform to do what i can to, in whatever way, to help the community — especially right now. and, erm... because so many people do not have access to what i have, or are losing the little access that they did have and... yeah. so to me, it'sjust, there's sort of no question about it. hi, i'm atsu. i'm a trans man

from santiago, chile. i'm a photographer for an lgbtq+ band here in chile. and i was wondering, from one artist to another, what would you say to the trans youth that want to pursue an artistic career, to empower them to become the representation that we need as trans people? for, you know, me, like, thinking of when i was starting out, i certainly... i certainly wish i'd just listened to my instincts and trust myself, you know, above all. hi, my name is nomsa milani and i am 25 years old from i south africa in a small town called pietermaritzburg. - so there'sjust one question that i would like to ask- you today — is there anything you regret| regarding your transition? i don't have any regrets. if we were to share, - idon't have any regrets. i would say ijust regret not starting sooner. -

i actually feel pretty much the same way. i regret absolutely nothing other than, yeah, i wish this had happened earlier in my life. it can be a lot sometimes, is the honest truth. you know, again, ijust always go back to... ..the position i'm in is the reason why i have the resources i have, to access the health care that's allowed me to be here, that's allowed me to finally begin to exist as my real self. hi, i'm adam harry, i'm a 24—year—old trans man from india, and i'm the country's first transgender person to hold a private pilot licence. when i first came out

as a trans man, the authorities made me unfit and i was restricted from flying. my family was ashamed of my gender identity. then i was put under house arrest for almost a year, and i was taken through invisible conversion therapies and correction therapies. this is notjust my story. this is the story of many trans people in the world. so what is your message to those trans people who is going through their difficult times? my message is just to hold on and to love yourself with all your might and to know that there's absolutely nothing wrong with you and... ..and to reach out for support where you can find it. you know, if you can access community in real life, to me, that's what's transformed my life in so many ways. i just want to send all my love

to anyone who's struggling right now with feeling... ..rejected or shamed. it's not about you. it's about them. how do you imagine acting in the next few years? i mean, ifeel, you know, more excited about acting than i have in a very, very, very long time. and i think... i guess that's the same way for basically everything right now. i'm more excited about everything because i feel so different in a way i never thought i could before. but even... ..we just finished the final season of umbrella and just the difference on set, and how much more embodied ifeel, and centred, and... ..just being able to start as me versus feeling separate, versus feeling the sensation

to flee, versus being in my trailer with constant discomfort and then, you know, going out and just sort of getting through the day in so many ways, is what felt like a lot of my life. how do you see your future in the next few years? do you see fatherhood? no, i've never... i don't... i'm not really too interested in having kids, to be honest. but i guess you never know. i know, people have said that and changed their mind, of course. but right now, i reallyjust... ..i do feel like i'm really living my life for the first time. things feel new and exciting and... ..and i don't know how to describe it, other than it's sort of even less the big things or the more obvious moments, or...

i just feel so present for the first time and the sense of stillness and ease and... ..i just want that to exist in my life. like, if really cool work comes, and parts, and, you know, getting to produce and all of that's thrilling. of course i want to do that, but i'm just really happyjust getting to live my life and wake up and walk my dog and hang out with friends and feel like i'm really in my body for the first time, if that makes sense. it makes total sense. thank you so much, elliot page. thank you.

hello. we've had some big contrasts in our weather so far this year. blocked patterns, you might say. when they come along, they stay for quite some time. for example, february turned out to be the driest for 30 years. it was really quite persistent. but almost overnight we changed the month and the weather changed. it was wet, the sixth wettest march on record. and then we've had those temperature contrasts through spring. it took a long time to see any warmth, mid—may onwards, really. and then once the heat really arrived, we had flaming june, the hottestjune on record here in the uk. and now we're in july we've changed the weather again. it's been very unsettled, temperatures around about average, and it looks set to say for the next six to ten days, largely unsettled as well. we won't be without sunshine and some warmth, but with these low pressures close by, one just moving away towards thursday, another one hot on its heels.

it's all, it's off and down to the position of the jet stream. there's upper level winds that drive our weather systems. and right now they're driving those low pressure systems in off the atlantic. so wednesday, again, will be another day of sunny spells and showers. frequent and heavy in northern and western parts, particularly scotland, northern ireland, northern england. a slight change in wind direction for england and wales, from the south—westerly breeze we've had in recent days to more of a westerly means we'lljust drop the humidity a little bit more, so fresher feel. but there will be with that breeze showers and heavy as they've been in recent days intense downpours with hail and thunder. they tend to ease a little bit through the night and temperatures will fall back to probably single figures in the countryside. certainly more comfortable nights for sleeping, i think, into wednesday and into thursday. but that low pressure is then starting to move back in off the atlantic. so thursday sees this brief bump of high pressure in southern areas, perhaps fewer showers and less heavy showers, but not further north. we're still close to the area of low pressure.

the winds are lighter, so the showers are like to be really quite lengthy with some torrential downpours once again. lots of spray, lots of standing water to contend with on the faster routes in the coming days with those showers. and then it's a very brief ridge of high pressure because by the time we get to friday, we've got this next low pressure winding itself up to bring us some more prolonged spell of heavy rain. and again, because there's some warmer air being drawn up from the tropics, it will really be quite heavy that rain, probably thundery as well. it'll be warm though and it looks quite windy too. and that then meanders its way slowly eastwards across the uk during the course of saturday. so the persistent rain spreads northwards. it gives way to, heavy, frequent, showers coming around that area of low pressure blowing in on that southerly wind. so at least it's a slightly warmer direction once again, although probably not realised the highest temperatures as you could see, because there'll be more cloud and a lot of showers. and there it is as we go

into the second part of the weekend. still with us, that low pressure, it starts to briefly move out of the way on sunday. so perhaps fewer showers sunday. but again, it's low pressure that's dominating. we've got that westerly winds so hit and miss. the devil really in the detail for the showers. but of course, as always with showers, there'll be some sunny and warm spells in between. what about into next week? well, there's that low pressure moving away, perhaps the ridge of high pressure close to southern areas, but always, i think, dominated by low pressure, particularly towards the north and further downpours.

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