Ellen Page Says It's 'Borderline Offensive' When Straight Actors Are Heralded as 'Brave' for Playing LGBTQ Characters
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Update: In December 2020, Elliot Page came out as trans and announced that they use he/they pronouns. This content was written in August 2015, before Page publicly announced that they are trans.
Ellen Page says she finds nothing "brave" about tackling certain roles as an actor – especially when it comes to straight actors portraying LGBTQ characters.
"When people are [called] brave in regards to playing LGBTQ people, that's borderline offensive," she told Time in a new interview. "I'm never going to be considered brave for playing a straight person, and nor should I be."
The actress, 28, said that in general, she doesn't understand why people in her field are championed because "our job is to read something on a page."
Regardless, Page, who came out publicly in February 2014, told Time that playing lesbian Stacie Andree in October's Freeheld gave her a "deep sense of peace."
"There was something about being out, getting to play a gay character, and getting to play a woman who is so inspiring to me – it was such an amazing experience for me," she said. "Honestly, if I played gay characters for the rest of my career, I'd be thrilled. I wish I could, honestly!"
The Oscar nominee, who broke out in 2007's Juno, said that since coming out, she's moved from being depressed to being "excited about life."
"For me, the level of sadness and lack of inspiration and joy in general – that was hurting my work," she told Time. "I didn't feel motivated. I was just depressed. Going to meetings, or trying to push for things: It was this little flame that was barely flickering anymore. The moment I came out, I felt every cell in my body transform. I was happier than I ever could have imagined."
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During her interview, Page also spoke about the rise in diverse characters portrayed on the big and small screen.
"It's evident from what people are watching on television that people want diversity. They want it," she said. "Whether they consciously know it or not, I'm not sure, but look at Orange is the New Black. You're seeing actors that, if that show didn't exist, we might not have ever seen – that are extraordinary. It makes me excited because the whole reason to go to a film is to disappear into another world, and to have your humanity connect with someone else's, who you might not ever meet in your life!"
In Freeheld, out in limited release Oct. 2, Page portrays one half of a real lesbian couple alongside Julianne Moore. In the film, Page's character fights to have her partner Laurel's (Moore) police officer's pension transferred to her after Laurel is diagnosed with terminal cancer.