Speaking in a 2017 interview with Bustle, the actor, who came out as transgender in 2020, addressed a joke made by his character, Juno MacGuff, in the Oscar-winning film.
Reflecting on the moment, Page admitted (via Tyla): “It wasn’t something I totally registered at the time, but, of course, now that I’m older I do.”
The scene revolved around discussing baby names, whereby Jason Bateman’s character, Mark, suggests the name “Madison.” Juno’s quick response: “Madison? Wait, hold on… isn’t that like a little, gay?”
Years later, Page pointed out the broader issue in the industry: “So many movies I loved as a kid are just rampant with homophobia and transphobia and biphobia, and I’m not excusing it by any means. It really hurts the industry and it really hurts film. We need more stories. We need more representation. We need more points of view.”
Juno Trailer
Credit: Searchlight Pictures
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Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, Juno was both a critical and commercial success. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and earned Page a Best Actress nomination for his breakout performance, IMDb details.
Page has also spoken about the personal experiences he had while filming Juno, including his relationship with co-star Olivia Thirlby, who played Juno’s best friend. In his memoir Pageboy, he revealed that they had a private romance during the shoot.