Hey…Hey… I’ve got a question for you. Why are Canadian students so smart? Because they get all “ehs.”
*sweats to the sound of crickets*
Ahem.
So anyway, as you might have already deduced, our next crush is on none other than our favorite Canadian acting and producing icon as seen in Juno and The Umbrella Academy: Elliot Page!
In spite of my cringe-worthy dad joke above, Page admits to having never been to college, which only pushed him to read more on his own to compensate. I don’t know about you, but I love a motivated self-starter.
Actually, there are lots of things to love about Page. I mean have you taken a moment to get lost in the depths of his stare? Here, take a second and do that:
Right??
In addition to that piercing gaze, there is so much to love about Page that I found it hard to narrow it down to just ten reasons to crush on him. But I did it, everyone. I. Did. It. So, without further ado, here are ten reasons to crush on Elliot Page.
Reason 1: He is a proud and influential member of the queer community.
“To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”
Popbuzz
While Page admits he is naturally shy, he is not timid about his quest to challenge queerphobia every chance he gets. From his Viceland docuseries, Gaycation, where Page and his best friend shed light on LGBTQ culture around the world, to his philanthropy and charity work for the queer community, to his unflinching candidness about his transition, to playing an openly transgender character on the hit show The Umbrella Academy, Page is a longtime champion for queer rights and representation. He was even included in LGBT magazine The Advocate’s list of “40 under 40” influential members of the queer community.
Reason 2. He is an activist.
“My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today,” Page says, “and of course, I want to use that privilege and platform to help in the ways I can.”
Time 2021
And use them he has. He is famously vocal about his political stances on LGBTQ topics, being pro-choice, and human rights issues. In 2013, Page put $350k of his own money into a film called There’s Something in the Water, which explores environmental hardships experienced by communities of color in Nova Scotia.
Reason 3: He is introspective.
“Bullying puts you in a place where, later, you have so much unlearning to do. If you’re getting teased and made fun of and called names on a daily basis, there’s no way that’s not going to get inside of you—particularly when you’re already feeling so much shame. Nobody even needs to open their mouth, and you’re already feeling it.”
Esquire, 2022
While Page lives with this inner pain from a lifetime of bullying, he still manages to reflect and find inner peace and self-acceptance.
“What have I learned from transitioning? I can’t overstate the biggest joy, which is really seeing yourself. I know I look different to others, but to me, I’m just starting to look like myself. It’s indescribable because I’m just like, there I am. And thank God. Here I am. So the greatest joy is just being able to feel present, literally, just to be present. To go out in a group of new people and be able to engage in a way where I didn’t feel this constant sensation to flee from my body, this never-ending sensation of anxiety and nervousness and wanting out. When I say I couldn’t have ever imagined feeling that way, I mean that with every sense of me.”
Esquire, 2022
Let’s be honest. Is there really anything more crush-worthy than someone with this kind of emotional maturity? *swoon*
Reason 4: He is a mental health advocate.
This is where I get to fan out about Page’s upcoming memoir, Pageboy. In it, he allegedly approaches his mental struggles with the same candidness we have come to expect and adore from Page. Even his editor was blown away by the manuscript: “PAGEBOY completely knocked the wind out of me,” Senior Editor Bryn Clark, who will edit the memoir, said in the press release. “Elliot’s story pieces together a complicated coming of age where he struggles to maintain his strong sense of self in the face of a society that slowly fractures and fragments anyone who doesn’t fit into a binary-driven world.”
And if we needed any more proof that Page is all about self-love, we have this video of him talking about this very subject:
Reason 5: He loves animals.
“I’m obsessed with my dog. That’s my kid. I’m good with that.”
Esquire 2022
Page is also a longtime vegan and was named sexiest vegetarian of 2014 by PETA.
Reason 6: He loves nature.
“My dad had a cabin on the south shore of Nova Scotia with no running water or electricity. I was obsessed with tree frogs. I would watch them hop along for hours, probably because of how tiny they were. I’ve noticed as an adult how nourishing and crucial it is for me to feel connected to nature. I need it. When I’m in those spaces, my whole body will relax. My stress dissipates. I can get quiet. I spent a lot of time in the woods”
Esquire 2022
Am I the only one who can’t get the mental image of Elliot Page quietly pondering life in the thick of a forest out of their mind? Romantic camping trip for two, please!
Reason 7: He cares about his physical health.
“Working out always felt like such a conundrum because it didn’t feel good. I walked, and I hiked, but that was it. The experience of being in my body now is so different. I’m absolutely hooked. The feeling of being really engaged with it, present, pushing it, and getting stronger and gaining weight. It’s thrilling. I feel like a kid doing it.”
Men’s Health, 2022
Reason 8: He is super talented.
This kind of goes without saying, right? I mean, the man has been in upwards of thirty films and multiple TV shows ranging from comedy to horror and everything in between. His accolades include nominations for an Academy Award and two Primetime Emmys, as well as two BAFTAs and a Satelite award, to name a few.
He continues to captivate audiences on The Umbrella Academy and has us all waiting with bated breath for his next project.
Oh, and as if his acting skills weren’t enough, he can also juggle:
Reason 9: He has discipline and drive.
“I get up at six. I have coffee, and I usually try to write for two hours. I just go into a portal. I sit down, and I am processing, and I’m telling a story—versus when I would hardly allow myself to be aware of it. Then I take my dog for a really nice walk, and then I try to write for another couple hours. In the afternoon, I feel it out. Because you’re writing about intense things—not only full of feelings and trauma and difficulties, but also, this is the longest I’ve ever even sat with so much of that. With the things that have happened. It’s an interesting experience, the fact that writing certain things can trigger a physiological response. It’s so fascinating, the body.”
Esquire 2022
Reason 10: He loves books.
“For me, euphoria is simply the act of waking up, making my coffee, and sitting down with a book and being able to read.”
Esquire, 2022
That’s right, FBC readers! Elliot Page is a bookworm just like us. And because we’re all dying to know, here is a list of some of his favorite reads. Enjoy!
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
Real Life by Brandon Taylor
Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq
