Ellen Page Reveals Why Being in the Closet Became ‘Toxic’ to Her

In a revealing interview on Off Camera With Sam Jones, actress Ellen Page discusses how she came to terms with her sexuality during her rapid ascent to fame. It was a trying time for Page. While she was winning accolades and making an unbelievable amount of money, she was depressed because she was closeted. “You feel guilty for feeling bad because you have so much privilege,” Page said. As Page’s public presence grew, she had to work harder to cover up her personal life until it eventually became a toxic situation. “Like anything toxic it’s like a bucket and it keeps filling up... and it pours over. It just got to a place where it wasn’t ok anymore.”

Page also believes that being closeted hurt her artistically by stunting her personal growth. But she eventually gained the confidence and clarity she needed to come out after seeing the struggles that members of the LGBT community who weren’t as privileged faced. “It felt like a moral imperative to say, ‘Yes I’m gay, people are gay, there are gay people, there always have been, will always continue to be,’ let's try and move this along,” Page said.