Elliot Page to Still Play Female Role in “Umbrella Academy”

Elliot Page, the Oscar-nominated star of Juno and Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, publicly announced to his social media followers on Twitter early Tuesday morning that he is transgender, and his name is Elliot.

Now, several news sources are reporting that Page will continue to play the role Vanya Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy, a series about a family of superheroes. The show has become one of Netflix’s biggest hits.

Vanya is a cisgender woman whose superpower involves unleashing force through the use of sound. Insiders have said that there are no plans to change the character’s gender.

Page uses both he/him and they/them pronouns and describes himself as transgender and nonbinary, meaning that his gender identity is neither man nor woman, but “he” pronouns are still OK for him.

Netflix is in the process of updating Page’s name in the metadata across all titles he is involved with that are available to watch on the streaming service. Page’s credited name has already been updated on The Umbrella Academy’s IMDB page.

Related Article: Elliot Page Comes Out as Trans

Prior to transition, Page was one of the most visible, out, queer actors in Hollywood. This announcement further enriches his legacy and adds him to a growing number of out trans creators and stars in Hollywood.

The bulk of the social media reaction to Page’s announcement was positive, with stars such as Miley Cyrus and Kate Mara signaling their support. However, some commentators suggested that the role of Vanya Hargreeves should be recast. The character’s name trended on Twitter below #Elliot.

GLAAD, the LGBTQ advocacy group, pushed back at the notion that Vanya should be recast with a cisgender, female actor.

“Trans actors can and do play both trans and cisgender characters,” Nick Adams, director of transgender media at GLAAD, told Variety. “I’m sure Elliot will continue to be brilliant in Umbrella Academy and many different types of roles in the future,”

The second season of The Umbrella Academy was released over the summer, and  the series was renewed for a third season in November.

Photos Courtesy of Facebook