Elliot Page Shares ‘Healing Experience’ Of Playing Trans Man In New Improvised Drama Close To You

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As a dedicated follower of Elliot Page‘s career, I must say that his transformation both personally and professionally has been nothing short of inspiring. The role he played in Close to You not only showcases his exceptional acting skills but also serves as a testament to his courage and resilience.

Elliot Page is well-known for his exceptional acting roles in movies such as Juno, Inception, and The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Recently, he opened up about a profound and significant change in his life during an interview. This transformation was particularly relevant to his latest role in the film Close to You, directed by Dominic Savage. Through this character, Elliot was able to address and heal deep-seated emotional aspects of himself, as it provided him with the opportunity to portray his complexity on screen.

Among the projects he’s working on, “Close to You” holds a deeper significance for Page as he identifies as a trans man since 2020. The narrative centers around Sam, a man who has recently transitioned, returning home for the first time after many years. He’s seeking reconciliation with his family, and the tale unfolds as he grapples with the anticipation of reconnecting with his loved ones and their response to the changed Sam.

According to Page’s own words, he wouldn’t have felt confident or secure enough to perform in this role before his transition, saying, “I couldn’t have existed and created freely as I am now.”

Playing the character Sam provided Page with an opportunity to explore feelings similar to those he has encountered in his own life, offering a therapeutic effect. Each day on set brought him immense joy, as he expressed, “For me, waking up every day eager to go to set was a huge healing experience.” The movie chronicles Sam’s homecoming to a small Canadian town, where he faces past memories, reignites old love, and strengthens family ties while discovering self-assurance and maturity.

Dominic Savage employed an unconventional method of storytelling for this movie, heavily relying on improvisation, which left Page feeling both intrigued and apprehensive. Renowned for Channel 4’s I Am, Savage allows the actors to develop their characters autonomously. Initially unsure about participating, Page found himself reassured during filming, feeling comfortable enough to let those improvisational scenes unfold. As they continued shooting these extended takes, sometimes lasting as long as 53 minutes, both challenging and exhilarating, he expressed that it was “unusual for an actor working in film to perform a 23-minute take or a 40-minute take, but the opportunity to keep going, to keep going, and keep going was simply delightful.”

Savage believed that their effortless partnership was nothing short of fortuitous. Instantly, he and Page seemed to share a deep understanding, as they both admired personal narratives. “It felt as though it was destined to occur,” Savage mused, emphasizing the organic quality of their collaboration. Page, familiar with his work and appreciative of his directing style, recognized this connection as well: “We just clicked, found commonalities in our preferences for storytelling, and that’s essentially how it started.”

In “Close to You,” Sam and Katherine, portrayed by deaf actress Hillary Baack, share a tender romance. This romantic narrative was developed through improvisation; as Baack explains, there were no rehearsals to facilitate spontaneous moments of connection. She described the experience as thrilling, stating that they “were able to just dive into the moment and journey together, discovering genuine human emotions along the way.” The depth of their love story lies in the unspoken feelings and shared experiences of being outsiders. Despite the barriers that might typically separate them, the bond between Sam and Katherine is heartwarmingly pure and deeply moving, transcending any artificial divisions.

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2024-08-29 12:23