Elliot Page says there was ‘no way’ he couldn’t come out as trans after previously keeping sexuality secret

‘It felt important and selfish for myself and my own wellbeing and my mental health,’ Page said

Elliot Page has opened up about his decision to publicly come out as transgender in a new interview with Oprah Winfrey.

In December, the Juno star announced on social media that he is trans and uses he/they pronouns.

Now, in a preview clip from his first TV interview as part of Winfrey’s Oprah Conversations series, Page is asked about the process of deciding to share this part of his life publicly.

“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 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.”

Describing how he’d been “closeted [for] so long”, Page continued: “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.

“I think any sensation of feeling that again, there was just no way I could do it,” he said, adding that it had “felt important and selfish for myself and my own wellbeing and my mental health”.

In an accompanying interview with Vanity Fair, Page said that coming out had allowed him to focus on his creative projects again, explaining: “I think of all the energy and time that was going towards feeling uncomfortable, constantly checking my body, just feeling unwell. And I’ve got a new ability to explore creatively and write, and just how much I’m reading – that’s been really amazing.”

Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Page comes to Apple TV+ on Friday (30 April).