Ellen Page: Feminist Is Not A Dirty Word

Actress Ellen Page wants to know why people have such a hard time identifying as feminists.

Best known for her Oscar-nominated role as the title character in 2007’s Juno, in which she played a pregnant teen, Page has starred in other movies such as Inception, and Whip It, eschewing weak, shallow characters for interesting and unconventional roles, many of which could be classified as feminist.

“I don’t know why people are so reluctant to say they’re feminists,” Page told The Guardian, veering off-topic from her new movie The East. “Maybe some women just don’t care. But how could it be any more obvious that we still live in a patriarchal world when feminism is a bad word?”

Today, she is advocating for women in film, noting that only 23% of speaking roles are for women, and working on a self-described “definitely feminist” script of her own. She’s also gained notoriety for her tweets, particularly those in support of Plan B and a woman’s right to choose.

“Feminism always gets associated with being a radical movement,” Page says. “Good. It should be.”