LGBTQ+ people publicly being loving and supportive of other LGBTQ+ people? Whenever it happens, we absolutely LOVE to see it, and in this instance, it involves gay acting icon Ian McKellen proudly voicing his support for Oscar nominee (and his former X-Men franchise co-star) Elliot Page!
In a recent interview conversation with Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey for the UK's Attitude Magazine, the 81-year-old screen legend recalled what it was like collaborating with Elliot so many years ago on the popular superhero movies.
"Everything gets better when you come out because you get self-confidence," McKellen said about coming out. "So you get better in terms of relationships, friends of all sorts, family, if you’re lucky. And in my case, I think in every case, your acting is bound to change and improve."
"I remember Elliot Page, in one of the X-Men, sat as close as we are now," he then told Bailey about working with Elliot for the first time during X-Men: The Last Stand. "I had to speak when they’d finished, and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Nobody could hear what they were saying. So, I said, 'Look, if you can’t speak up, would you mind when you’re finished speaking, just dropping your hand so I know when you’ve finished speaking?'"
He continued:
"And then they came out [as gay] years later and suddenly you couldn’t stop them talking. You heard everything. Now...they’re Elliot. And I’m so happy for Elliot. And so disappointed in myself that I didn’t detect what their difficulty was with communicating."
McKellen's public support for Elliot (the two worked together again in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past) comes on the heels of Elliot's December 2020 coming out, when he took to social media to open up about his gender identity.
"Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot," Page wrote in a letter shared to his Twitter account, sharing his name and pronouns to his fans and followers. "I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society."
He continued:
"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better."
