Elliot Page
Pageboy
Doubleday
In his striking memoir Pageboy actor Elliot Page shares his journey from being a kid growing up in Canada to finding success in Hollywood, first through acclaimed indie films and later blockbuster hits.
While the world saw the actor attending red carpet openings and appearing alongside A-list celebrities, behind it all though at each step Page was struggling with sexuality and gender. Dealing with dubious Hollywood characters and looking for love.
Throughout the book Page recalls key moments in his life where he was on the precipice of accepting, embracing, and celebrating that they were gay, and later transgender. But like waves crashing down on the beach a big movie opening, advice from a concerned industry insider or media report would set them back.
One moment Page is feeling the euphoria of finding happiness during their first visit to a gay bar, only to have to deal with the success of the movie Juno which ramped their fame up another notch.
Suddenly they must content with gossip reports speculating about their sexuality and relationships. Their private life dished out as entertainment and as a mystery to be solved. Page shares the psychological drain of walking into a service station and seeing a row of magazines asking if you’re a lesbian, or battling with a studio executive who really wants you to wear a pretty feminine dress to your next movie premiere.
The account includes recollections of an interaction with a unnamed big Hollywood star who allegedly grossly suggested that Page would stop being same sex attracted if they were to have sex with them, dangerous moments on set, dealing with stalkers, and revelations about love affairs that until now had been kept secret.
One of the frustrating elements of the book is that it is non-linear, jumping back and forth between Page’s childhood, formative years, and adult life. While this approach allows the author to highlight the link between events at different points in his life, it does leave the reader feeling slightly discombobulated.
Like all autobiographies from people who are transgender it once again highlights that people explore their gender, and in many cases, suffer great distress before making their public declarations.
Page’s book is an easy read, one that you can polish off in a day or two, but it’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood, the publicity machine, the downsides of fame and a reminder that everything that looks glamorous is all just show business.
Graeme Watson
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