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The Umbrella Academy’s Elliot Page says transitioning ‘drastically’ improved his life

Elliot came out as trans in 2020 and revealed earlier this year his character would also transition.

By Emily Maskell

Elliot Page
Elliot Page in The Umbrella Academy (Image: Netflix)

Words: Emily Maskell; pictures: Netflix

Elliot Page has said transitioning has “drastically” improved his life and that he is “proud” of the handling of his and his character’s transition in The Umbrella Academy’s third season.

Appearing as a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday (21 June), Page shared that showrunner Steve Blackman “seemed really excited about incorporating it into the show.”

Page added that trans author and journalist Thomas Page McBee “came on board and helped out and I feel proud of it and I’m excited for people to see it.”

Describing the latest season as “so fulfilling for an actor,” The Umbrella Academy sees Page’s Viktor and his adoptive family of superheroes go up against the revered Sparrow Academy, a rival superhero group from an alternate timeline.

Page, 35, came out as trans in December 2020.

Subsequently, the show’s writers announced that they would tweak the series to address Pages’ real-life transition through his character, now named Viktor Hargreeves. 

 
 
 
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Currently, with an 87 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Umbrella Academy’s third season seems to be striking a chord with viewers.

When asked about some of the negative reactions surrounding their transition, Page said: “What I want to focus on right now and has been so extraordinary is the degree of joy that I feel, the degree of presence that I feel.”

The actor continued: “I think it’s made me better in so many facets. As a person, as a friend, and in relationships.”

He also said: “It’s improved my life drastically and I hope that people who do have an issue with me could try and hear that and embrace that on some level.”

Season three of The Umbrella Academy is now available to stream on Netflix.

The Attitude July/August issue is out now.