X-CELLENT! SIR IAN TOASTS A NEW PAGE

BUT HE REGRETS NOT REALISING CO-STAR’S IDENTITY CRISIS

IR IAN McKELLEN is ‘so happy’ for his X-Men co-star Elliot Page after they came out as non-binary and transgender.

The 81-year-old screen legend, who has been openly gay since 1988, believes Elliot’s life will now improve, both on and off screen.

‘You get better in terms of relationships, friends of all sorts, family, if you’re lucky,’ he said. ‘And in my case, I think in every case, your acting is bound to change and improve.’

The Lord Of The Rings star did, however, admit he was ‘disappointed’ in himself for not recognising that Elliot – previously Juno star Ellen Page – may have been struggling with their identity on the set of 2006’s X-Men: The Last

Stand. Sir Ian also suggested 33year-old Elliot’s coming out had been a boost for their selfconfidence.

In an interview with Attitude magazine for its February issue, he explained: ‘I remember Elliot Page, in one of the X-Men films, sat as close as we are now.

‘And I had to speak when they’d finished, and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Nobody could hear what they were saying.

So, I said, “Look, if you can’t speak up, would you mind when you’re finished speaking, just dropping your hand so I know when you’ve finished speaking?” ‘And then they came out [as gay] years later and suddenly you couldn’t stop them talking. You heard everything. And now… they’re Elliot. And I’m so happy for Elliot. And so disappointed in myself that I didn’t detect what their difficulty was with communicating.’ Elliot, married to dancer Emma Portner, 26, announced the name change in December, adding their pronouns are he/they.

Taking a Stand: Sir Ian saluted Elliot’s announcement