Actor, writer, comedian and activist — Elliot Page wears many hats. No stranger to critical and commercial success, thanks to his stint in Netflix’s hit series Umbrella Academy (2009-present), the actor has appeared in over 30 titles. With shocking revelations in his memoir Pageboy catapulting him back to the limelight in 2023, it is worth looking at some of the most interesting facts about Elliot Page, including his net worth.
From his role in Juno (2007), which made him a household name to his performances in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi film Inception (2010), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and Tallulah (2016), Page has built a career graph that is continually on the rise.
However, it wasn’t till the release of Pageboy, which hit the shelves on 6 June 2023, that fans got a peek into the private life of the actor. From his relationship with actress Kate Mara to the challenges of coming out and transitioning, the memoir holds a mirror to the person behind the onscreen portrayals.
Lesser-known facts about Elliot Page you may not know
Elliot Page is a Canadian citizen
While the actor has made his mark on Hollywood over the years, he is actually from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Born Ellen Philpotts Page, on 21 February 1987 in Halifax, he was born to Martha Philpotts and Dennis Page. While Martha is a teacher, Dennis is a graphic designer.
Page attended different high schools every year
Growing up as a child of divorce, Page went through a lot of back and forth. He attended the Halifax Grammar School till tenth grade and then went to Queen Elizabeth High School. He graduated from the Shambhala School in 2005 and enrolled at Vaughan Road Academy to study the Interact Program for two years.
Talking about the toll it took on him in a 2022 interview, Page told Esquire, “When I left Halifax to go to Toronto in grade eleven, I thought the bullying would lessen… And that wasn’t the case at all. If you’re getting teased and made fun of and called names on a daily basis, there’s no way that’s not going to get inside of you.”
Elliot Page played soccer
As a kid, Page loved playing soccer and “loved the discipline”. He enjoyed teamwork and as an avid learner was also inclined towards its spiritual aspect and “what it means to find and create empty space,” he told Esquire.
Page recalls “having a blast” while playing “soccer, touch football, outback during recess and lunch.” Although he enjoyed being on the fields with the boys, he was eventually forced to shift to the girls’ team owing to his assigned sex.
Elliot transitioned from Ellen in 2020
Assigned female at birth, Page publicly came out as gay in 2014, and later as a transman in December 2020. Speaking to PEOPLE, he said, “Today I definitely feel a way that I never thought I would get to feel. I think that mostly manifests in how present I feel. The sort of ease and the ability to exist.”
Since the transition, Page adopted the pronouns he/him. Speaking about this journey with Esquire, he said “I can’t overstate the biggest joy, which is really seeing yourself. I know I look different to others, but to me, I’m just starting to look like myself.” He added, “So the greatest joy is just being able to feel present, literally, just to be present. To go out in a group of new people and be able to engage in a way where I didn’t feel this constant sensation to flee from my body, this never-ending sensation of anxiety and nervousness and wanting out.”
Elliot Page is a prominent LGBTQ+ and mental health activist
While delivering a speech at the Time To Thrive Conference by Human Rights Campaign, the actor, who went by Ellen at the time, spoke about his support for the LGBTQ+ community. Page also confessed he regretted waiting for so long to reveal his true self on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014.
In April 2021, he made his first television appearance since coming out as trans when he sat down with Oprah Winfrey in The Oprah Conversation on Apple TV+ to talk about his journey. Page also spoke about the need for proper representation of the trans community and the importance of revoking the anti-trans bill in the US.
As a queer advocate, he has openly criticised debates about gay marriage. In a 2019 interview with The Independent, Page said, “Gay marriage… it’s not a debate. Whether you have the religious right to f***ing not serve a queer person or a trans person, that’s not a debate. And the media needs to stop treating it like it’s a debate.”
He is also a pro-choice feminist and upholds the values of equality, liberty and freedom, apart from being a mental health advocate. Taking a stand against human rights violations in 2008, he was one of the 30 celebrities who appeared in a series of online advertisements for the US campaign against the military dictatorship in Myanmar.
Esquire quotes him saying, “Activism, for me, feels natural and organic. It feels worse when I’m not actively engaged. And I don’t think it stems from feeling some sort of pressure or obligation… I like to think I’m an empathetic person.”
The biggest revelations in his memoir
In a chapter titled “Famous A-hole At Party”, the Trailer Park Boys (2001-2018) alum talks about a celebrity acquaintance, who said, “You aren’t gay. That doesn’t exist. You are just afraid of men,” and added, “I’m going to f**k you to make you realize you aren’t gay.”
Additionally, Page recalled the time he fell for his My Days of Mercy (2007) co-star Mara while she was dating Max Minghella. As per a US Magazine report, Mara told Minghella, “I never thought I could be in love with two people and now I know I can.” Page reportedly fell for the House of Cards (2013-2018) star right after he came out as gay. Still very close to each other, he wrote, “I think the love and care that we have for each other is its very own special thing.”
The book also talks about his deep friendship with actors Catherine Keener — who helped him during the filming of An American Crime (2007) and let him live with her during the overwhelming Juno award season. He also wrote about Whip It (2009) co-stars Kristin Wiig and Alia Shawkat and how they helped him cope with work, life and everything in between.
Pageboy also sheds light on Page’s relationship with a closeted co-star. He wrote, “We loved each other and that was very real in our bubble… But feeling hidden was far too painful. That was impossible and not a sustainable relationship at all. And it taught me that I was not gonna do that again.”
Elliot Page was married to Emma Portner
Among the many revelations in his book, the There’s Something in the Water (2019) director wrote about his marriage to dancer Emma Portner. They tied the knot in 2018 but called it quits in 2021. As per US Magazine, Page revealed the relationship delayed him coming to terms with his true self and embracing his real gender identity.
“If a part of you is always separate if existing in your body feels unbearable — love is an irresistible escape,” he wrote in the book and added, “I felt that Emma’s emotions always took precedence over mine. This, I am certain, was purposeful on my part. The avoidance, the running, the numbing, the disassociating — all of my nifty tactics at their best. Harmful for me and harmful for them. And ultimately, it had nothing to do with Emma.”
He is one of the youngest Oscar nominees in the Best Actress category
Page was just 20 when his breakthrough performance in Juno earned him an Academy Award nomination in 2007. The film was a major critical and financial success and Page received a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress — Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.
He also bagged a Canadian Comedy Award and two Teen Choice Awards in the best actress category. Among numerous critics’ awards were accolades from the Detroit Film Critics Society, Austin Film Critics Association and Florida Film Critics Circle.
The actor is slated to star in the indie drama Close To You, which wrapped production in Canada in June and will be voice acting in the upcoming film Naya Legend of the Golden Dolphin in 2025.
He has his own docu-series
Page hosted his Hulu documentary series Gaycation (2016–2017) along with Ian Daniel and bagged two Primetime Emmy Awards for the same. The co-hosts would hit the streets to learn about the vast spectrum of LGBTQ+ experiences and explore real-life stories of love, struggle and victory.
Page also served as the executive producer for the series.
He is popular among gamers
In 2013, Page appeared in a video game called Beyond: Two Souls as a voice and motion capture actor. He describes it as one of his most demanding roles — the script itself was 2,000 pages long. Page went on to receive five award nominations including a British Academy Games Award for Performer in 2014.
Did you know Elliot Page can juggle?
A 2013 video posted by Team Conan O’Brien, shows Page displaying incredible juggling skills on Conan. When asked how the actor picked up the skill, he said, growing up on film sets meant a lot of free time and he would juggle when lonely to keep himself entertained.
Elliot Page’s net worth
It comes as no surprise that such a multi-faceted star, with major box-office success, television, films and author credits, Elliot Page would have a whopping net worth. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Page has a fortune of USD 8 million as of June 2023.
Besides his acting stints, the star’s wealth also comes from his production company, Page Boy Productions, which was launched in 2021.
He is vegan
Elliot Page is reportedly vegan and in 2014, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) named him one of the sexiest vegetarians of the year.
He plays the guitar and not the violin
Although his Umbrella Academy character might be able to play the violin virtuosically in the Netflix series, the actor reportedly can’t. Instead, he plays the guitar and also sings well. In fact, he has starred in a number of music videos.
(Hero and feature image credit: elliotpage/ Instagram)
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