Ellen Page On How Coming Out Affected Her Career
Ellen Page came out as gay on Valentine’s Day in 2014. The Hollywood Reporter documented Page’s speech, given as part of the Human Rights Campaign’s Time to Thrive conference to benefit LGBT youth. Page said, “I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission.” Now, more than a year later, she’s told Variety how her statements affected her career.
For starters, she has been reinvigorated in her creative work. She feels freer to explore roles that reflect her identity.
“I was feeling uninspired, and lost the love and joy I felt in making films. I’m gay — of course I want to play gay characters. To have the freedom to pursue that without any anxiety is nice.”
The interview noted that coming out in Hollywood is still uncommon for younger actresses, for fear that the roles won’t be as plentiful. Page said that the pickings are already slim for women, and for gay women it can be even harder.
“When I made the decision to come out, I wasn’t naive to that. Particularly when you’re in your late 20s and becoming a woman. First of all, there aren’t that many roles for you. And second, the roles that do exist, you’re specifically a device for the male character or you’re hypersexualized in regards to the male gaze.”
According to Page, Hollywood is less reluctant to cast gay actors to play straight roles than the other way around.
Ellen Page is Canadian and gave the interview to Variety before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on marriage equality. When the ruling was announced, Page took to Twitter to react.
Wow. So moved to hear such amazing news. What a beautiful day. Grateful to those who have worked so tirelessly for equality. #lovewins
— Ellen Page (@EllenPage) June 26, 2015
She also retweeted a photo from the official site of her new movie, Freeheld.
.@SCOTUS ruled today that all love is created equal. #LoveWins #LoveIsLove pic.twitter.com/77zSpAH7OS
— Freeheld Movie (@freeheldmovie) June 26, 2015
Freeheld tells the true story of Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree. Hester, a New Jersey police detective, was diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2005 and fought to have her pension benefits left to Andree, her domestic partner. The movie stars Julianne Moore as Hester and Page as Andree. Page also acts as a producer on the film, which is based on a 2007 documentary. She told Entertainment Weekly that making the movie shortly after coming out made the experience particularly meaningful.
“[T]o be shooting the movie so soon after coming out was some of the most joy I’ve ever felt on a film set, which is a tricky thing to say because we’re telling a story that’s incredibly tragic. But the feeling of being out and playing someone who’s gay, and someone whose courage has allowed me to live my life, that feels amazing. People like Laurel and Stacie are the reason I feel so happy in my life now.”
Freeheld is due out in October.
[Photo by Dave Kotinsky / Getty Images Entertainment]
