Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliott Page
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his truth.
“Can I kiss you?” It was two months before the world premiere of Juno, and Elliot Page was in his first ever queer bar. The hot summer air hung heavy around him as he looked at her. And then it happened. In front of everyone. A previously unfathomable experience. Here he was on the precipice of discovering himself as a queer person, as a trans person. Getting closer to his desires, his dreams, himself, without the repression he’d carried for so long. But for Elliot, two steps forward had always come with one step back.
With Juno’s massive success, Elliot became one of the world’s most beloved actors. His dreams were coming true, but the pressure to perform suffocated him. He was forced to play the part of the glossy young starlet, a role that made his skin crawl, on and off set. The career that had been an escape out of his reality and into a world of imagination was suddenly a nightmare.
As he navigated criticism and abuse from some of the most powerful people in Hollywood, a past that snapped at his heels, and a society dead set on forcing him into a binary, Elliot often stayed silent, unsure of what to do, until enough was enough. Full of behind the scenes details and intimate interrogations on sex, love, trauma, and Hollywood, Pageboy is the story of a life pushed to the brink. But at its core, this beautifully written, winding journey of what it means to untangle ourselves from the expectations of others is an ode to stepping into who we truly are with defiance, strength, and joy
One of the most beautiful things in the world I think is listening to someone share their story.
Their life.
Their experiences.
Their struggles.
Their pains.
Their vulnerabilities.
Their joys.
Their passions.
Their journeys.
I think it is so so so important for us as human beings to LISTEN to each other….really HEAR each other.
That really is the key to empathy, understanding, compassion, and acceptance.
And that is why I am drawn to memoirs so much I think.
Especially when they are memoirs from people who have a very different life experience than me.
Elliott’s journey has NOT been an easy one…and so much of his pain was a very internal and traumatic battle for many years that he had to hide while he lived in the very public eye of Hollywood.
He is very raw, honest and vulnerable sharing about his journey thus far….some parts are SO difficult to read because you can just FEEL the pain thru his words…my heart literally lurched and my stomach clenched at some parts…his descriptions of his discomforts was so vivid.
It takes a lot of bravery to be vulnerable…to just lay out all your most sensitive thoughts and feelings and experiences…and he does that in these pages.
I think writing this was a way to tell his story but also as a part of his healing…and as celebration of the life journey he is now on.
Elliott is a fantastic actor…and this book proves that he is also a fantastic writer as well.
I wish more folks would listen to transgender people…REALLY TRULY listen…because they have been silenced and shamed for SO LONG.
For all the Elliott’s in the world who are living their truth, bravely sharing their stories so others do not feel alone…so others feel loved…and so others understand…and so change can happen…
I think you are AMAZING.
THANK YOU for being willing to share your story…and your self…with the rest of the world.
We need you here.
I see you. I hear you. I appreciate you.
And I will support and fight for you however I can.