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Ellen Page Addresses Matt Damon's Tone Deaf Remarks About Out Gay Actors
Ellen Page has some choice words about Matt Damon’s recent comment that actors need an aura of mystery about their sexuality, reminding him that straight actors are open about their sexuality all the time.
“Heterosexual actors and actresses do not have to go to great lengths to hide their sexuality,” the Freeheld star, who came out as lesbian in 2014, told Washington, D.C.’s Metro Weekly. “Yes, of course, keep your private life private. Protect yourself. Have boundaries. When you’re a public person, you need to think about your safety. But if it’s in relation to sexuality, then no — that’s an unfair double standard. Heterosexual people walk down the red carpet with their partners all the time, they talk about their children.”
Damon rankled many with a recent interview with London’s Guardian, in which he said, “I think it must be really hard for actors to be out publicly. But in terms of actors, I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you, period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.”
Damon then attempted to walk back the comments when he appeared with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, saying they shouldn’t be interpreted as advice for gay actors to stay in the closet.
Page also told Metro Weekly that being in the closet “was way, way destructive to my work.” She explained, “For me personally — and this may not be the case for some people — being closed off, being sad, feeling uninspired, losing an excitement for my job in general, because of just how I was feeling. It just takes your energy away.
“Now that I’m out and living my life freely, I feel so much more open. I feel like my spirit has lifted. I have more energy, I feel more creatively inspired than I’ve potentially ever felt. I feel way, way, way happier in life and also in my job and in the work that I do as an out gay actor.”
Page said she recognizes that she’s in a position of privilege and that everyone has their own reasons for coming out or not, but she thinks the situation of LGBT people is changing for the better: “And it’s going to continue to change the more people come out.”
The actress also talked about the emotional resonance of Freeheld, working with the “generous actor” Julianne Moore, and many other topics. Read the full interview here.
