In The Odyssey, Elliot Page has a small but significant role as Sinon, the soldier sacrificed to sell the Greeks’ Trojan Horse scheme. The Oscar-nominated actor gives a great performance in what has become one of the year’s biggest movies, but in an interview with On Film… With Kevin McCarthy revealed that he has yet to see that lead to any new offers of work. “I get some pushback for being Canadian. I don’t know what it’s about,” he joked. “But if someone wants to call me…”
The Odyssey is Page’s biggest film role to date as an out trans man, and earlier in the interview, McCarthy and Page had talked about Page’s first project with Christopher Nolan, Inception. Page reflected that “when you ask me about Ariadne, it’s like… I had such a great time being in that movie… but I was also personally really uncomfortable.”
Nowadays, though, Page feels that “I’m not having to literally work through a performance that I don’t even quite know I’m doing to get to a performance. I feel now, because that’s removed and I don’t have to deal with that when I’m acting, I feel like I could maybe do some of my best work now.”
He added that “just feeling more embodied and connected — knowing yourself more and embodying yourself more weirdly lets you let go.”
Page has no projects on the immediate horizon, which comes at a time when he says “I’d really love to do ideally good work. That’s what I’d love to do.” He admitted that when it comes to making connections with potential collaborators, “I’m more like, ‘If they want me…’, you know?’ Because I was seen in a certain way before and it is different now. So maybe there is something to reaching out to people and trying to create connections and projects that way. But I think it’s a little tricky for me to get cast right now. I think that’s probably for obvious pretty obvious reasons.” He laughs. “The Canadian thing.”
In the meantime, he remains grateful to Nolan “for having me be a part of [The Odyssey]. I’ve been so lucky in my career, and gotten to play some really fantastic parts and be a part of some wonderful projects… When I wrapped on The Odyssey, I had a moment.” He mimed tears running down his cheeks. “There was a full circle moment.”
The Odyssey is still in theaters now. For more, revisit our review of the film.
