Elliot Page Opens up About Why ‘The Odyssey’s’ Success Hasn’t Translated Into New Roles

Christopher Nolan’s blockbusters have a well-earned reputation for launching careers into an entirely new stratosphere, turning supporting players into household names almost overnight. That kind of career boost has become such a predictable pattern that when Elliot Page landed a role in Nolan’s latest epic, many assumed his phone would start ringing nonstop with new offers.

That expectation made sense given the film’s staggering success. ‘The Odyssey’ hit theaters in July starring an ensemble that included Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Anne Hathaway, going on to gross a massive $1.555 billion at the global box office and reuniting Page with Nolan sixteen years after they first worked together on ‘Inception.’

Despite that scale of success, Page says the calls simply haven’t come. Speaking on the “On Film…With Kevin McCarthy” podcast, Page said it’s a little tricky for him to get cast right now, adding that he believes that’s probably for pretty obvious reasons tied to being transgender.

When podcast host Kevin McCarthy assumed Page had been fielding a flood of offers following the film’s success, Page corrected him directly, saying no, he wasn’t, and joking that if someone wanted to call him, they were welcome to. He made clear the quiet stretch isn’t by choice, explaining that he’d really love to find good work moving forward.

Page went on to reflect on how his position within the industry has shifted since he came out as transgender in 2020, saying he was seen a certain way before and that things are different now, suggesting there might be value in reaching out to filmmakers directly and building projects from the ground up rather than waiting for offers to arrive. He wished he could be the type of actor who simply walks into a room and gets cast, but acknowledged his process now depends more on people specifically wanting him or feeling he’s right for a part.

That reflection came alongside a more personal look back at his earlier work with Nolan, with Page revealing he felt genuinely uncomfortable while filming ‘Inception’ before his transition, despite having enjoyed the experience of making that movie overall. He described wrapping ‘The Odyssey’ as an emotional, full-circle moment, saying that knowing and embodying himself more fully now lets him let go in ways he couldn’t before.

Page’s role as the Greek soldier Sinon in ‘The Odyssey’ wasn’t without controversy before the film even reached theaters, drawing criticism from right-wing commentators that Nolan publicly dismissed as irrelevant, arguing critics hadn’t even seen the finished film. Whoopi Goldberg also weighed in during a segment on ‘The View,’ defending Page’s casting and telling anyone who disliked it simply not to see the movie.

Despite the noise surrounding his casting, Page said he’s largely stayed an observer to the broader reaction, noting he’s caught glimpses of it through Canadian news coverage and the endless stream of memes circulating online rather than engaging with it directly.

With no new project currently lined up, Page’s comments have reignited conversation about how Hollywood treats transgender actors even amid a major awards-caliber success.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!