Elliot Page on his “liberating” shirtless scene in new movie
Elliot Page has spoken about the “liberating” experience of starring in his first leading man role as Sam in director Dominic Savage’s new movie Close to You – Page’s first major role since transitioning to a trans man.
Specifically, the actor spoke about how an improvised shirtless scene felt particularly “natural”, telling a panel at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) “Shooting on the day, I was getting out of bed and getting dressed, it was sort of clumsy, like, ‘Oh, it would be great, he sleeps shirtless.'”
“In the moment when you’re making this,” he continued, “you’re making it from this instinctual place that I don’t know how to describe. It just sort of happens, but at the same time, it just felt natural.”
He added, “Showing this dude who’s comfortable and present and waking up in his body, that means a lot to me. I never thought I’d feel that way, so it’s nice to get to act it.” Close to You, which was co-written by Page along with Savage, follows a trans man returning home to Canada for a family reunion and attempting to reconnect with an old romance, played by newcomer Hilary Baack.
On the “liberating” experience of performing a role he truly felt comfortable in, Page explained, “The way I get to feel working now is far more embodied coming from that foundation, versus entering and not feeling that way. It’s a huge shift.”
The film reportedly involves a huge amount of improvisation, with the actor sharing that “doing something like this, complete improv, before, would’ve been close to impossible. The sensation of being able to do it and feel that present enough to do it, I just felt exhilarated every day. What a special film to do, first time [back on film], because it lets you feel embodied to the extreme.”
Page previously made headlines for his candid and intimate memoir, Pageboy, released earlier this year, which drew widespread acclaim for its honest depiction of trans experiences and celebration of an overlooked community and experience.
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