In a new clip from an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Elliot Page is opening up about the emotional joy he has experienced since coming out as transgender, as well as why he felt it was so necessary to go public with his experience. The sit-down is the actor's first televised interview as part of Winfrey’s “Oprah Conversations” series.
When asked what part of his transition has brought him the most joy, the 34-year-old actor paused for a moment, and then emotionally shared his answer with Winfrey.
"It's the little things... getting out of the shower and the towel's around your waist and you're looking at yourself in the mirror and you're just like, 'There I am,'" he shared. "And I'm not having the moment where I'm panicked."
Page, who came out publicly as transgender in December 2020, begins to become visibly emotional, tearing up as he continued to find the words to describe his transition.
"I'm not having all these little moments that use to be... just being in a t-shirt," he said, adding, "It's being able to touch my chest and feel comfortable in my body, probably for the first time."
The "Umbrella Academy" star explained the obvious signs of emotion were "tears of joy."
In another clip from the interview, set to air on Apple TV on April 30, Page shared that his platform and privilege informed his decision to go public his coming out.
“I was expressing this to people in my life much before posting that letter and telling people for the first time and knowing I wanted a moment, of course, to become comfortable in myself and to be able to get to that point,” he said.
“For me, in this time we’re in right now and especially with this horrible backlash we’re seeing towards trans people, particularly trans youth, it really felt imperative to do so.”
Page said his life experience has been spent “closeted for so long,” adding, “I came out as gay right before my 27th birthday and up until then I had pretty much never even touched someone outside who I was in love with."
“So I think any kind of sensation of feeling that again, there was just no way I could do it,” he said. "It felt important and selfish for myself and my own well-being and my mental health and also with this platform I have, the privilege I have, and knowing the pain and difficulties I faced in my life, let alone what so many other people are facing?
"It absolutely just felt crucial and important to share that."