Netflix Will Retroactively Add Elliot Page’s Name To All Past Work

Netflix has announced that they will update the name Elliot Page to all of the actor's previous and upcoming work on the streaming service.

By Ross Bonaime | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

Elliot Page

Yesterday, the world was introduced to Elliot Page, as the actor formerly known as Ellen Page announced they are transgender and identifies as non-binary. Page, who currently stars as Vanya Hargreeves on Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, received praise and support from the streaming service, who has decided to update Elliot Page’s name on all titles they have on their platform.

In response to Elliot Page’s news, Netflix responded, “So proud of our superhero! WE LOVE YOU ELLIOT! Can’t wait to see you return in season 3!” Elliot Page has already become a searchable name on the streaming service for all of Page’s projects currently on Netflix. In addition to The Umbrella Academy, Page can be seen on the 2016 film Talluljah, the 2019 limited series Tales of the City, and the documentary There’s Something in the Water, co-directed by Page alongside Ian Daniel. However, searching Elliot Page on Netflix’s DVD service still warrants no results, with Page’s old name still yielding results.

Other sites like Hulu, IMDB, and Letterboxd have already made the change to Elliot Page, while Prime Video still lists Elliot Page’s former name in films like Inception, Hard Candy, and their Oscar-nominated performance in Juno. As for The Umbrella Academy, it looks as though no changes will be made to the character of Vanya Hargreeves, as Page will continue to play the cisgender woman.

Elliot Page shared the news yesterday, saying “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.” While Page stated how joyful and happy he is to be able to make such an announcement, he also stated the difficulties transgender people still face every day, with political leaders trying to criminalize transgender health care and showing hostility to the community and over 40 transgender people murdered in the last year alone. 

Elliot Page received support from people on social media like Miley Cyrus, Broad City’s Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, and former co-star Kate Mara. But arguably the most important sign of support came from Page’s husband, Emma Portner, who shared how proud she was of her husband, saying “Elliot’s existence is a gift in and of itself.”

Even though many in Hollywood have come out as transgender in recent years, Elliot Page’s news is arguably the most famous actor to do so. Nick Adams, the director of transgender media at GLADD says, “When someone like Elliot Page tells the world that he is in fact transgender, an actor that people have respected and admired and loved for years, it allows them to feel as if they now know a trans person. It’s really important.” 

Elliot Page

Elliot Page has mostly worked with Netflix over the last few years, with both Tales of the City and The Umbrella Academy’s first two seasons. Elliot Page’s most recent films were a trifecta of films released in 2017: My Days of Mercy, The Cured, and the Flatliners remake. Coming up, Page is slated to appear as a voice in both Naya Legend of the Golden Dolphin, scheduled for release in 2022, and Robodog.

But after years of roles in the X-Men franchise, and movies like Whip It, The East, and Super, it’s great that Elliot Page can finally feel comfortable being himself. Page has been an incredible talent in film, television, and video games over the year, and has even started to direct his own work. With companies like Netflix behind him in this transition, it’s wonderful to see such an impressive actor and filmmaker being supported so wholeheartedly.