Academy Award-winning actor J.K. Simmons praised Elliot Page (formerly Ellen), who played alongside him in the hit movie “Juno.”
Speaking with Yahoo Entertainment, Simmons commended Page for being “iconic in a new way.”
“I had an awesome time working on Juno, Elliot’s been one of my favorite actors to watch since then, and a wonderful actor to work with,” Simmons said.
Page came out as transgender and non-binary in early December 2020, roughly six years after coming out as a lesbian.
“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot,” Page said in a statement posted to Twitter. “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.”
Regarding Page’s transition, Simmons said, “It’s been great to watch that happen,” while emphasizing that Page has become “iconic in a new way” and “a positive influence for a lot of people.”
During her coming out post on Instagram in December, Page denounced “the political leaders” who “want to criminalize trans health care and deny our right to exist.”
“The statistics are staggering. The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidious and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences. In 2020 alone it has been reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which were Black and Latinx trans women,” Page asserted.
“[Y]ou have blood on your hands. You unleash a fury of vile and demeaning rage that lands on the shoulders of the trans community, a community in which 40% of trans adults report attempting suicide. Enough is enough. You aren’t being ‘cancelled,’ you are hiring people. I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks,” Page added.
Later, during an interview with Vanity Fair, Page condemned the recent wave of transgender legislation as potentially devastating to the trans movement.
“The backlash right now is so intense. But the rhetoric coming from anti-trans activists and anti-LGBTQ activists—it’s devastating. These bills are going to be responsible for the death of children. It is that simple,” Page said.
“It just felt like, Okay, the GOP basically wants to destroy the lives of trans kids and stop the Equality Act. How do you not use this platform?” added Page.
Page attested to feeling like a boy even as a toddler.
“I knew I was a boy when I was a toddler,” said Page. “I was writing fake love letters and signing them ‘Jason.’ Every little aspect of my life, that is who I was, who I am, and who I knew myself to be. I just couldn’t understand when I’d be told, ‘No, you’re not. No, you can’t be that when you’re older.’ Now I’m finally getting myself back to feeling like who I am, and it’s so beautiful and extraordinary, and there’s a grief to it in a way.”
Related: Elliot Page (Formerly Ellen): Transgender Laws Will Be The ‘Death Of Children’