When Elliot Page was promoting Juno, he was forced to wear a dress. It 'almost killed' him.

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In 2008, 21-year-old Elliot Page was becoming the next big thing.

He had just played the lead role in Juno, a coming-of-age drama about a teenager who unexpectedly falls pregnant.

The film was a massive success, both critically and commercially, earning four Oscar nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Page's performance.

Watch the trailer for Juno here. Post continues below.

But it was at the height of the film's popularity that Page, who has since come out as transgender, was struggling with his identity the most.

"During awards-season time, I was closeted, dressed in heels and the whole look — I wasn’t okay, and I didn’t know how to talk about that with anyone," the 35-year-old wrote in a 2022 article for Esquire.

"I can't pinpoint a 'worst' day," Page later said.

"But when Juno was blowing up — this sounds strange to people, and I get that people don’t understand. Oh, f*** you, you’re famous, and you have money, and you had to wear a dress, boo-hoo. I don’t not understand that reaction.

"But that’s mixed with: I wish people would understand that that sh*t literally did almost kill me."

Wearing dresses became not only mentally, but also physically painful; to the point where Page could barely function.

"I would berate myself for it," he wrote.

"I was living the life and my dreams were coming true, and all that was happening. And yet, for example, when I was shooting Inception, I could pretty much not leave whatever hotel I’d be staying in."

In December 2020, Page announced he is transgender.

"Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel so lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life," the actor wrote on Instagram.

"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."

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Five months after coming out, Page gave his first television interview, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's The Oprah Conversation.

Speaking to the TV host, Page explained just how bad his mental health became when his manager surprised him with three dress options to pick from for the Inception Paris premiere.

"I just like, I like, I lost it," Page told Winfrey.

"It was like a cinematic moment, you know, the kind of thing that would be in a movie. And that night, after the premiere, and at the after-party, I collapsed, and that was something that's happened frequently in my life, usually corresponding with a panic attack," he continued.

"And yeah, I'm sure the two correlate and that whole period correlates."

The Umbrella Academy star has been open about his journey transitioning. Image: Getty.

In Page's June 2022 article for Esquire, the actor wrote about his childhood, career, transition and life now.

He detailed the period before transitioning — discussing just how uncomfortable life became living in the body he was born into.

"I struggled with food, intense depression, anxiety, severe panic attacks. I couldn’t function," Page wrote.

"There were days when I’d only have one meeting, and I’d leave my house to go to the meeting and have to turn around."

Page knew living as a female wasn't in his future.

"I could not picture myself as a woman aging, obviously," he wrote.

"I would say, verbatim: I’ve never been a girl. I’ll never be a woman."

The actor also looked back on filming Juno and its success, wishing he hadn't "squashed" just how important a movie it was.

"People, especially teenage girls, really responded to that character, Juno. The clothing — which was just me taking a producer to used-clothing stores in Vancouver. The vibe — something that was, if not nonexistent... it was new for a film that reached the audience it reached, and with her as the title character," he wrote.

"It related to my queerness and my transness," he added.

"I wish I could go back and experience it now. As me."

Page attends the Gucci fashion show as part of Spring/Summer 2026 Milan Fashion Week. Image: Getty.

This week, Page made his red carpet debut with his new partner, actress and comedian Julia Shiplett.

The pair posed for photos together at the Gucci Spring Summer 2026 event during Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday.

Page sported a navy striped suit jacket and a white button-up shirt, paired with wide-legged navy pants and a Gucci leather belt.

Also opting for stripes, Shiplett wore a dark green silk Gucci set and accessorised with a black leather bag and Gucci black heels.

Julia Shiplett and Elliot Page stepped out on the carpet together. Image: Getty.

Page seemingly first shared his relationship with the Overcompensating star back in June, sharing a selfie of the pair on a rainbow-painted street celebrating pride with the caption, "🌈 💕".

The pair were then photographed together at the Overcompensating Threads Screening in New York in May and the opening night of Julio Torres' solo showcase, Color Theories in New York on September 10.

Shiplett is the first relationship Page has made public since transitioning, though he has hinted at love away from the public eye.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in June 2023, he said, "It's the most fun I've ever had dating. Interacting with people feels so much easier and more connected, because I'm not feeling lost in myself and not seen in the right way."

Page and Shiplett in September. Image: Getty.

Page was previously married to Emma Portner, who was publicly supportive of The Umbrella Academy actor when he came out as trans. In January 2021, the pair announced they had separated the previous summer and would be divorcing.

He's also been open in the past about his relationships with Kate Mara and Olivia Thirlby, which he wrote about in his 2023 memoir Pageboy.

Page is currently working on Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey, alongside the likes of Matt Damon and Zendaya, and was recently executive producer of the documentary, A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint, which follows trans/drag icon, artist and activist Peppermint.

He's also the founder of Pageboy Productions, a production company he launched in 2021.

And it seems like the projects just keep coming for the star, with Page's production company reportedly partnering with Canadian media giant Bell Media to develop and produce an original scripted TV series.

This article was first published in 2022 and has been updated.

Feature image: Getty.