Elliot Page

Early life and education

Elliot Page was born on February 21, 1987, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to parents Martha Philpotts, a teacher, and Dennis Page, a graphic designer. He was assigned female at birth and used the name Ellen prior to his gender transition in 2020. Page attended Halifax Grammar School until grade 10 and also spent time at Queen Elizabeth High School during his formative years. He completed his secondary education at the Shambhala School, graduating in 2005, and then moved to Toronto for two years to study acting in the Interact Program at Vaughan Road Academy, where he studied alongside his close friend and fellow Canadian actor Mark Rendall, a period that solidified his professional ambitions in the performing arts.

Early career and television work

Page began his on screen career at the age of ten in 1997, starring as Maggie Maclean in the CBC Television film Pit Pony . The success of the film led to a television series of the same name, which ran from 1999 to 2000, with Page reprising his role for the series. For this television work, he received nominations for a Gemini Award and a Young Artist Award, marking his first industry recognition. His first feature film role came in 2002 when he played Joanie in the drama Marion Bridge, a project noted for its focus on Nova Scotian stories. That same year, he secured a recurring role as Treena Lahey for five episodes on the popular Canadian series Trailer Park Boys, expanding his comedic range. Throughout the early 2000s, Page appeared in several television films, including Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story and Ghost Cat . In 2004, he starred in the drama Wilby Wonderful, winning an award at the Atlantic Film Festival and receiving a Genie Award nomination for Best Actress. He also had a recurring role in the first season of the science fiction series ReGenesis as Lilith Sandström, the daughter of the show's protagonist, further establishing his presence in Canadian television.

Breakthrough in film

Page's career shifted dramatically with his starring role in the 2005 psychological thriller Hard Candy, where he played Hayley Stark, a teenager who confronts a sexual predator. The film was a commercial success and earned Page widespread critical acclaim, including the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in 2006, among other awards and nominations. He also appeared in the 2005 drama Mouth to Mouth and joined the blockbuster franchise X-Men in 2006, playing the mutant Kitty Pryde in X-Men: The Last Stand, a role that had previously been used only in brief cameos. His true breakthrough arrived in 2007 with the leading role in Jason Reitman's comedy drama Juno, where he portrayed a witty, pregnant teenager. The film was a major critical and box office success, making Page the fourth youngest nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actress at that time. His performance garnered numerous accolades, including a BAFTA nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, a Screen Actors Guild nomination, and wins at the Independent Spirit Awards and the Canadian Comedy Awards. That same year, he also led in the films An American Crime and The Tracey Fragments, the latter earning him the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Canadian Film and praise from critics like the Boston Herald, which called him 'the real thing'. In 2008, he co starred in the comedy drama Smart People and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live on March 1, 2008, further broadening his audience.

Major film and television projects of the 2010s

Following the success of Juno, Page continued to take on diverse and prominent roles in both independent and major studio films. In 2009, he starred in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut Whip It as a roller derby athlete, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released widely in October 2009. The following year, he played the architect Ariadne in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed science fiction film Inception, a major commercial and critical hit that was hailed as one of the best films of the 2010s. He also appeared in the 2010 black comedy superhero film Super, accepting the role after being impressed by the script, and his performance as a psychopathic teenage sidekick was widely praised. Page expanded into voice and performance capture work, portraying the lead character Jodie Holmes in the 2013 video game Beyond: Two Souls, a role for which he received a British Academy Games Award nomination for Best Performer and praise for bringing 'gravity and warmth' to the character. He reprised his role as Kitty Pryde in the 2014 blockbuster X-Men: Days of Future Past, which was a major box office success and considered one of the best films in the franchise, earning Page nominations for a Teen Choice Award and a Kids' Choice Award. On television, Page hosted and produced the documentary travel series Gaycation with Ian Daniel from 2016 to 2017, exploring LGBTQ cultures around the world. His most significant television role began in 2019 when he was cast as Vanya, later Viktor, Hargreeves in the Netflix superhero series The Umbrella Academy. The show ran until 2024 and earned Page a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2022, and after his own transition, his character's storyline was updated to reflect a similar gender journey in the show's third season.

Production work, directing and later projects

Beyond acting, Page has established himself as a producer and director, focusing on projects with social relevance. He served as a producer and star on the 2015 film Freeheld, an adaptation of a short film about Laurel Hester, though the film received mixed reviews from critics. In 2019, he co directed and produced the documentary There's Something in the Water with Ian Daniel, which examines environmental racism in Nova Scotia and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before streaming on Netflix in March 2020. In September 2021, Page founded his own production company, Page Boy Productions, appointing Matt Jordan Smith as Head of Development and Production and signing an overall deal with Universal Content Productions. The company's early projects include the 2023 film Backspot, on which Page served as executive producer, with filming in Toronto wrapping in March 2023, and the drama Close to You, for which Page was a producer, screenwriter and actor. Both films premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, with Page winning an award at the Calgary International Film Festival for his performance in Close to You. In January 2025, it was announced that Page Boy Productions had acquired the rights from Quantic Dream to develop a television adaptation of the video game Beyond: Two Souls. Page also reunited with director Christopher Nolan for the 2026 film The Odyssey and narrated the 2026 nature documentary Second Nature. As of June 2022, he was writing a screenplay with his Mouth to Mouth co star Beatrice Brown, demonstrating his ongoing work behind the camera.

Activism and public advocacy

Page has been a vocal activist for LGBTQ rights, gender equality and environmental justice throughout his career. He publicly came out as a lesbian in a 2014 speech at the Human Rights Campaign's Time to Thrive conference, where he also spoke about facing discrimination in Hollywood. That year, he was included in The Advocate's 40 Under 40 list, and in 2015 he received the Human Rights Campaign Vanguard Award for his advocacy work. In a 2017 Facebook post, Page shared experiences of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, including being outed against his will at age 18 by filmmaker Brett Ratner on the set of X-Men: The Last Stand, a claim corroborated by co star Anna Paquin. On December 1, 2020, Page came out as a transgender man, sharing his new name, Elliot, and his pronouns, explaining the decision was prompted by the COVID 19 pandemic and anti transgender rhetoric. His announcement was met with widespread support from political figures like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and from the entertainment industry, with Netflix updating his credits across their service by December 8, 2020. In March 2021, he became the first openly transgender man to appear on the cover of Time magazine, discussing his gender journey and the lifesaving nature of his top surgery, and he requested transgender photographer Wynne Neilly to shoot the cover. Page is also a vegan and was named PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian in 2014 alongside Jared Leto. He identifies as an atheist and has been a pro choice feminist, advocating for abortion rights since 2008, and has spoken in favour of the MeToo movement and called for an end to military dictatorship in Myanmar.

Filmography and selected works

Page has built an extensive body of work across film, television and video games. His film roles demonstrate a range from intimate Canadian dramas to large scale Hollywood productions. His television work includes both series regular roles and impactful documentary hosting. The following table highlights a selection of his key projects and their release years, illustrating the evolution of his career from early Canadian work to international blockbusters and personal projects.

In addition to these works, Page has several upcoming projects. He is set to voice a character in Naya Legend of the Golden Dolphin and Robodog and will reunite with director Christopher Nolan for the 2026 film The Odyssey. He also narrated the 2026 nature documentary Second Nature. Page continues to develop new material, including a screenplay he is co writing with his former co star Beatrice Brown and the television adaptation of Beyond: Two Souls. His 2017 film work included starring in the remake of Flatliners and producing and starring in The Cured, and he appeared in the 2019 Netflix miniseries Tales of the City as Shawna Hopkins. He also guest starred on The Simpsons in 2009 as Alaska Nebraska and performed in a staged reading of The Empire Strikes Back as Han Solo in 2014.

Awards and recognition

Throughout his career, Elliot Page has received significant award nominations and wins, recognizing his talent as an actor and his impact as a public figure. His performance in Juno remains one of his most celebrated, leading to a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. He has also been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards for Gaycation, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. His work in Canadian television and film earned him two Gemini Awards, one for Ghost Cat and a nomination for Pit Pony. For his role in The Umbrella Academy, he won a Saturn Award in 2022 and was nominated in 2019. His performance in Hard Candy won the Austin Film Critics Association Award in 2006, and for The Tracey Fragments he won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Canadian Film. Beyond industry awards, Page's advocacy has been formally recognized. Major honours include:

• Human Rights Campaign Vanguard Award (2015)
• Inclusion in The Advocate's 40 Under 40 list (2014)
• PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian, alongside Jared Leto (2014)
• Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television (2022)
• Award for Best Performance at the Calgary International Film Festival (2023)
• Atlantic Film Festival Award for Wilby Wonderful (2004)
• Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for Juno (2008)
• Canadian Comedy Award for Performance in Juno (2008)

Page's memoir, Pageboy, was published in June 2023 by Flatiron Books. The publishing rights were acquired for a reported three million dollars. The memoir debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Sellers List for Nonfiction. In March 2021, he became the first openly transgender man to appear on the cover of Time magazine. In 2013, he accused the production of the video game The Last of Us of using his likeness without permission for the character Ellie. The character's appearance was subsequently redesigned.

Personal life and relationships

Page has been open about his personal life and relationships in the public record. He was in a romantic relationship with his Juno co star Olivia Thirlby during the filming of that movie in 2007. In 2014, he briefly dated actress Kate Mara, his co star in the short film Tiny Detectives and the later film My Days of Mercy. Page married dancer and choreographer Emma Portner in January 2018 after revealing their relationship in 2017. The couple separated in 2020 and their divorce was finalized in 2021, though they have remained close friends afterwards, with Portner expressing support for Page when he came out as transgender. In June 2025, Page announced that he was in a new relationship with actress Julia Shiplett. Page has spoken about his gender identity from a young age, recalling that at nine years old he felt like a boy and asked his mother if he could be one someday. His decision to come out as transgender in 2020 was influenced by the COVID 19 pandemic and the prevalence of anti transgender rhetoric in politics and media. He has described his top surgery, a subcutaneous mastectomy, as a lifesaving procedure that he was recovering from at the time of his announcement. Page currently identifies as queer and non binary, using he and they pronouns. In his personal time, he has collaborated musically with friend Mark Rendall, releasing a three track lo fi bedroom pop EP on Bandcamp in August 2021.

Questions about Elliot Page

What is Elliot Page known for?

Elliot Page is best known for his starring role as Juno MacGuff in the 2007 film Juno, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He is also widely recognized for playing Viktor Hargreeves in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy from 2019 to 2024. Other notable roles include Hayley Stark in Hard Candy, Kitty Pryde in the X-Men films, and Ariadne in Inception. Beyond acting, he is known for his activism for LGBTQ rights, for directing the documentary There's Something in the Water, and for being the first openly transgender man on the cover of Time magazine in March 2021.

When did Elliot Page come out as transgender?

Elliot Page came out as a transgender man on December 1, 2020, in a social media post where he shared his new name and specified his pronouns as he and they. He explained that his decision was prompted by the COVID 19 pandemic and the anti transgender rhetoric in politics and media. Following his announcement, Netflix updated his name across all credits on their service by December 8, 2020. In March 2021, he discussed his transition and top surgery in an interview for Time magazine, where he appeared on the cover, becoming the first openly trans man to do so.

What awards has Elliot Page won?

Elliot Page has won several awards throughout his career. His role in Juno earned him an Independent Spirit Award, a Satellite Award, a Canadian Comedy Award and the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Hard Candy. He won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2022 for The Umbrella Academy. He also received an award at the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival for his performance in Close to You. His advocacy has been recognized with honours like the Human Rights Campaign Vanguard Award in 2015.

Is Elliot Page married?

Elliot Page was married to dancer and choreographer Emma Portner. They announced their relationship in 2017, married in January 2018, and separated in 2020. Their divorce was finalized in 2021, but they have remained close friends, with Portner publicly supporting Page's transition. In June 2025, Page announced that he was in a new relationship with actress Julia Shiplett. Prior to his marriage, Page had romantic relationships with his Juno co star Olivia Thirlby during filming and, briefly in 2014, with actress Kate Mara.

What is Elliot Page's production company?

Elliot Page founded the production company Page Boy Productions in September 2021. He appointed Matt Jordan Smith as the Head of Development and Production and signed an overall deal with Universal Content Productions. The company focuses on developing film and television projects, with early productions including the 2023 film Backspot, where Page served as executive producer, and the drama Close to You, where he was a producer, screenwriter and actor. In January 2025, the company acquired the rights from Quantic Dream to develop a television adaptation of the video game Beyond: Two Souls.

What is Elliot Page's connection to Nova Scotia?

Elliot Page was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He attended schools in Halifax, including the Halifax Grammar School, Queen Elizabeth High School and the Shambhala School. His early acting work included the CBC film and series Pit Pony, which is set in Nova Scotia. In 2010, he appeared in Cisco Systems advertisements filmed in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. In 2019, he co directed the documentary There's Something in the Water, which investigates cases of environmental racism in communities across Nova Scotia, highlighting his ongoing connection to and advocacy for issues in his home province.

Sources and further reading

• Elliot Page (Wikipedia)
• Elliot Page Movies & TV Shows List (rottentomatoes.com)
• Elliot Page Movies and Shows (tv.apple.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.