Elliot Page opens up on ‘intense pressure’ to remain closeted in Hollywood

Elliot Page has recently discussed the challenges of staying in the closet in Hollywood prior to his decision to come out as gay and later as trans.

The Juno star, who recently released his memoir Pageboy, shared his thoughts with The Guardian in the UK:

“I can obviously only speak to my experience, but yes, my experience is that there was intense pressure to be not only closeted but to act and appear and perform like someone I wasn’t and someone I’m not.”

“Cis, trans, whatever – it doesn’t matter: the actor being told not to be your authentic self was a constant, and quite frankly it made me extremely unwell. I think back to the degree of how closeted I was and I’m just like: wow. It’s like watching a movie in my head. It was so extreme, and so were the feelings. I believed at certain points: ‘This is what my entire life is going to be.’”

During the interview, The Umbrella Academy actor mentioned that he believed his choice to come out as gay in 2014 might still influence casting decisions for him.

“I’m not in the rooms where those people are having those conversations, but I would imagine so.”

He was then asked if it’s the same case for his decision to announce his transition, he replied: “Again, it’s so tricky because I’m not in the rooms where people are chatting.”