Elliot Page says Kristen Wiig and other celebrity friends encouraged him 'to go against the forces that were telling me to not be true'

• Elliot Page spoke to People about the role his friends played in helping him feel comfortable in his skin.
• He expressed gratitude for the support of Kristen Wiig, Alia Shawkat, and Catherine Keener.

Elliot Page is sharing the hurdles he faced while transitioning in the public eye — and showing gratitude for the people who supported him along the way.

"We all love Catherine Keener. She let me live with her," Page told People magazine for its 2023 Pride-month issue. "And Alia [Shawkat] and Kristen [Wiig], they encouraged me to go against the forces that were telling me to not be true."

"[They're] sincere people who were just selfless and kind and loving," he said of the actors.

Page has had costarring roles with all three: Wiig and Shawkat were his costars in the 2009 teen drama "Whip It," while he and Keener acted together in 2007's "An American Crime."

Page, an Oscar-nominated Canadian actor known for critically acclaimed titles like "Juno" and "Umbrella Academy," publicly came out as transgender in 2020.

"I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey," he wrote on Twitter.

This isn't the first time he has publicly discussed the strength of these particular friendships. In 2017, Page revealed to Conan O'Brien that he has Wiig's last name tattooed on his arm. "She's a wonderful person and a wonderful friend," he said, explaining the decision.

He also has a tattoo dedicated to Keener. In 2022, he told Esquire, "The first tattoo I ever got was for Catherine Keener. It's my nickname for her, which is c keens."

He added that Keener is his "oldest friend in LA," and that she taught him "to keep my feet on the ground, to live my truth, and to take care of my heart."

As for Shawkat, the two actors did a joint interview for Bust in 2009, and Page said he was "crazy about her."

"From the moment we met, I've felt so lucky to have her in my life," he said.

In the same interview with People magazine, Page acknowledged that not all transgender people have been lucky enough to experience support from loved ones.

"The reality is trans people disproportionately are unemployed, disproportionately experience homelessness," he told People. "Trans women of color are being murdered. People are losing their healthcare."