Elliot Page backed out of starring in period drama after Juno so he didn’t have to wear feminine costume

Since releasing his memoir, Pageboy: A Memoir, Elliot Page has revealed a lot of truths about his time within the film industry.

Starring in fan-favorite movies such as Juno and X-Men: The Last Stand, Page quickly became a sought-after addition to many productions.

After many years within Hollywood, he has opened up to the world about his inner struggles and his transition.

The Oscar nominated actor, who came out as transgender in 2020, has shed light on how difficult it was for him to take on acting roles which included wearing typically 'feminine clothing'.

Instagram/@elliotpage

The 36-year-old wrote about the experience of backing out of a 'sought-after role', admitting that the thought of wearing a dress and wig made him 'want to kill myself'.

The role came to Page after the 2008 awards season ended, which resulted in four Oscar nominations and one win for Juno at the Academy Awards.

Though, this would be a character that Page had never taken before.

He wrote: "After awards season concluded, I was supposed to make a film in England. It was based on a famous book, and I was attached as the main character, a sought-after role.”

Even though his agents were excited about the opportunity, Page had yet to announce publicly that he was attracted to women, and, according to his memoir, was experiencing gender dysphoria - something that he had been dealing with since he was a child.

He explained: "I would imagine myself in a woman's costume from the mid-nineteenth century.

"The dress, the shoes, the hair, flashed before my eyes. It was too much after having put on the mask for awards season."

The actor added: "I understood that if I were to do it, I would want to kill myself.”

Jeffrey Mayer / Alamy Stock Photo

Though Page did not share the name of the film he ended up backing out of, Variety reported in 2008 that the actor had been cast in an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.

Mia Wasikowska was inevitably recast for the role alongside Michael Fassbender but it took the movie three years to make it to theatre.

Page shared: "It was too much to play a role on-screen when the role I played in my personal life was suffocating me already.

"I pushed myself to dispel the truth for fear of banishment, but I was despondent, trapped in a dismal disguise. An empty, aimless shell."

He continued: "It wasn't easy to explain to my reps that I couldn't take on a role because of clothing.

"A face would scrunch up and tilt sideways, 'But you're an actor?' Wardrobe fittings for films ripped at my insides, talons gashing my organs."

"I cringed at the way people lit up when seeing me in feminine clothing, as if I had accomplished a miraculous feat," Page added.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence contact Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468. The line is open 8pm–midnight Mondays and Fridays and is run by trans volunteers