Oscar-Nominated Actor Elliot Page recently became the highest profile actor to come out as transgender during their career. The star of Juno and The Umbrella Academy made the announcement on social media, declaring their new name, and support for the trans community at large. While the reaction from most fans and celebrities was very supportive, some questions were raised about what this meant for the actor's previous work and current projects that began before the public transition. Particularly in the case of The Umbrella Academy, where Elliot Page plays Vanya Hargreeves, a cisgender woman.
Questions and discussion swirled over what would be done with the role, with some suggesting it ought to be recast in favor of a cisgender actor. Insiders have told Variety, however, that Elliot Page is currently expected to continue playing the character, and there are no plans to change Vanya's gender. That said, the credits for The Umbrella Academy are in the process of being updated to reflect the actor's current name. The IMDB page for the show has already been corrected, and Netflix is in the process of tweaking its metadata so that users can find all of Page's previous work using his correct name.
The LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD suggested that Page should be allowed to continue playing the character despite the gender difference. Director of transgender media Nick Adams argued: “Trans actors can and do play both trans and cisgender characters. I’m sure Elliot will continue to be brilliant in Umbrella Academy and many different types of roles in the future." This stance allows Page to continue working on the series if they wish, but also grants him more freedom while selecting future roles, as projects that feature transgender characters are unfortunately rather difficult to come by.
Netflix's embrace of Elliot Page's new identity is also worth noting. Taking the step to correct the credits for The Umbrella Academy as well as retroactively changing Page's name on previous work shows an understanding and respect for his identity that will hopefully emphasize the importance of respecting the actor's new name, and help inform those who may have missed the original headlines. Coming out as trans is never easy or simple, but support and respect for those who do can make a world of difference to everyone who struggles with their identity.
Elliot Page can be seen in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy.
Source: Variety