Transgender actor Elliot Page revealed Thursday on the “On Film… with Kevin McCarthy” podcast that acting offers had dried up after appearing in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “The Odyssey,” suggesting casting had become more difficult because Hollywood viewed him differently after his transition.
Page reflected on the difference between his career before and after publicly coming out as transgender in 2020, suggesting he may need to take a more proactive role in developing projects and approaching filmmakers.
“I was seen in a certain way before, and it’s different now,” he said. “So maybe there is something to reaching out to people and trying to create projects that way. But it’s a little tricky for me to get cast now, for obvious, pretty obvious reasons.”
“The Canadian thing,” Page joked.
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Lisa Cusack, president of the Don’t L.A. My Burbank PAC, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that Hollywood’s broader financial pressures should push studios away from political messaging and back toward entertainment audiences want to see.
“Hollywood might skew as left as it gets, but the industry is struggling right now and can’t afford to push woke politics that lose at the box office,” she said. “Maybe the silver lining is the industry will get back to basics.”
“People pay to see their dreams and aspirations, not someone else’s woke delusions,” she added.
Page said the lack of offers had not diminished his desire to continue acting and described feeling more comfortable performing since his tradition.
“I feel like I could maybe do some of my best work now,” he said. “I’ve been so lucky in my career and gotten to play some really fantastic parts and be a part of some wonderful projects.”
Page, 39, played Greek soldier Sinon in Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” reuniting with the filmmaker 16 years after appearing in “Inception.” Page’s casting in “The Odyssey” had already generated controversy before the film reached theaters. Fox News Digital reported in July that critics targeted several of Nolan’s casting decisions, including Page as Sinon, Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and rapper Travis Scott as a Greek bard.
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Despite the pre-release controversy, “The Odyssey” became one of 2026’s biggest theatrical successes. The movie had grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide by early September, according to published box-office figures.
The success came amid a complicated year for the broader movie business. Reuters reported in August that domestic box-office revenue reached $6.2 billion through Aug. 2, a 15% increase from the same point in 2025 but still below 2019 levels. Ticket sales, however, remained sharply lower than before the pandemic, with 470.9 million tickets sold compared with 747.3 million during the comparable 2019 period.
