Actor J.K. Simmons has praised transgender star Elliot Page 14 years after they played father and daughter in the hit movie Juno, saying Page has become “iconic in a new way,”
J.K. Simmons recalled working together in the 2007 movie in which the actress then known as Ellen Page played a pregnant high schooler. Page received an Academy Award nomination for best actress for the movie.
“I had an awesome time working on Juno, Elliot’s been one of my favorite actors to watch since then, and a wonderful actor to work with,” Simmons said in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment.
“It’s been great to watch that happen,” Simmons added, referring to Page’s gender transition. Simmons said Page was already iconic before his transition, but now has become “iconic in a new way” and “a positive influence for a lot of people.”
Elliot Page came out as transgender in December and has since embarked on a media blitz that has included an interview with Oprah Winfrey and a Time magazine cover story. The star recently posed shirtless in a photo posted to Instagram.
In an interview this week with The Hollywood Reporter, Page’s publicist spoke about the star’s media strategy.
“It was something he’d been talking about at different times over the years. We’ve worked together for so long, so I wasn’t surprised at all. It was a conversation with me and other people close in his life, his mom,” said Kelly Bush Novak of the publicity firm ID.
“We knew with Elliot we wanted to do a Time cover because of the global meaning of that.”
J.K. Simmons is the latest co-star to praise Page. Others include Freeheld co-star Julianne Moore and Tales of the City co-star Laura Linney.
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