Ellen Page told Stephen Colbert on Tuesday’s “Late Show” that being a closeted gay actress felt “toxic.
“I feel so grateful to feel how I feel now compared to how I felt when I was a closeted person,” Page said while reflecting on opening up about her sexuality last year. “It is not a nice place to be, I was sad, it is toxic and I wish no one had to live that way.”
Page was promoting LGBT drama “Freeheld,” which is hitting limited theaters this Friday. Taking place in 2006, 41 states considered same-sex marriage illegal, but the U.S. Supreme Court recently legalized gay marriage across the country. Page believes the decision to be a product of more people like her living their life the way they want to.
“LGBT people started to become more visible,” she said. “Tolerance is always correlated with less people being out of the closet … The more people started living their lives, the more we’ve had films about it … It really changes people’s mind and touches people’s hearts … We’re all the same and all we’re asking for is equality and to grow up in a society that doesn’t make us feel less-than, that doesn’t make us feel shame.”
Page came out as gay in February of 2014 during a speech at the Human Rights Campaign’s Time to THRIVE Conference.
“Freeheld” follows the true story of New Jersey police officer Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) who tried to pass on her pension benefits to her partner, Stacie Andree (Page) after she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
