Ellen Page was grinning Sunday as she stepped out with her girlfriend in Toronto.
The 28-year-old Canadian actress and her girlfriend, Samantha Thomas, made their first public appearance together at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Page’s film “Freeheld", according to E!.
When asked why she picked that night to bring Thomas on the red carpet, Page smiled.
“I’m in love,” she said.
We think the actress should know that most of Canada is in love with her too. Since her "Juno" days, the actress has had roles in dozens of critically-applauded films, and has emerged as an outspoken LGBTQ rights activist. Just a few of the many reasons we’re unabashed fans:
Her new movie convinced her to come out: “You have fucking privilege, so do something about it.”
Page’s inspiring coming out speech at the Human Rights Campaign’s Time to Thrive conference last year has been hailed for tackling real issues affecting queer and trans youth.
She’s spoken candidly on gender stereotyping and the pain of being closeted. Her outspokenness is thanks to "Freeheld", Page’s passion project that debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last week. Co-starring Julianne Moore, the movie adapts a 2007 documentary on police officer Laurel Hester. "Freeheld" chronicles Hester’s diagnosis of lung cancer and her struggle to pass on pension benefits to partner, Stacie Andree, played by Page.
Their story moved the actress, who’s been involved in the film for five years and serves as a producer.
In an interview with OUT, Page said she remembers thinking to herself, "How in God’s name could you make this film and not be out?"
"It really made me go, ‘Dude, just tell people you’re gay,'" Page said. "It’s like, you have fucking privilege, so do something about it."
She’s not afraid to hold politicians accountable
While at the Iowa State Fair, Page recently confronted American senator and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz. As the politician flipped hamburger patties, she grilled him on LGBTQ discrimination.
“LGBTQ people can be fired for just being gay or just being trans. That’s totally legal. How do you feel about that?" Page asked. "That just doesn’t feel very American to me."
"What we should not be doing is persecuting people," Cruz answered, then telling Page he was happy to answer her questions but not have a big debate.
Her exchange with Cruz will be featured on Page’s VICE show "Gaycation", which is set to air in 2016.
She’s incredibly talented
While Page got her start in small-time Canadian classics like "Trailer Park Boys" and "Pit Pony", it was her breakout performance in revenge thriller "Hard Candy" and the quirky "Juno" that turned her into a Hollywood fixture. Among her many roles, she’s starred in Inception (for which she won the Scared As Shit MTV Movie Award), "To Rome with Love", "Whip It" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
Oh yeah, and Page was also in a movie called "I Downloaded A Ghost". That was a thing, and we kind of love it.
We must mention the suits
Besides Janelle Monae, Page is one of the few petite female celebs who rock suits, usually veering towards black-tie wear. We like this.
She’s a Haligonian, through and through
A proud Halifax native, every Bluenoser seems to have a "I just met Ellen Page" moment. Apart from giving shoutouts to local businesses and living in a haunted brothel, Page has been active in advocating against her hometown’s use of bio-solids. She’s spoken out against human waste being improperly disposed on municipal territories.
Her BFFS are the best BFFs
Page’s friends include Ruby Rose, Peaches, and cute dogs; she’s also tight with fellow "X-Men" co-star Patrick Stewart. They recently took a selfie in Toronto, while Stewart was in town for the Princess Bride reading.
Her current "Freeheld" co-star and self-proclaimed wifey, Julianne Moore, is very impressed with the actress’ bravery, especially while working with her every day.
"I don’t think I was aware of how painful it is to be closeted," Moore told OUT. "I asked her a lot of questions… it was very eye-opening for me."
Here’s hoping we can one day be BFFs with Ellen Page. Hey, we can dream, right?
Will you be seeing "Freeheld"? Let us know in the comments below.
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