Elliot Page’s brilliance first struck my high school besties and me with his performance in Juno in 2007. His brand of anxious teen nihilism felt raw and oh-so-millennial in a way few actors had pulled off for our generation by then. In time, Elliot became a queer Hollywood icon, and I saw him in other productions, like The Umbrella Academy. But I didn’t meet Elliot, the person, until early 2023. We bonded as transgender figures completing our debut memoirs. Elliot’s Pageboy ultimately landed at a time when conservatives were—as they still are—threatening trans people’s bodily autonomy and self-determination. But Elliot remains undeterred, letting down the shield that his platform and privileges afford, and championing grassroots activist efforts like the Gen Z–guided Trans Prom at the U.S. Capitol. In whatever he does, Elliot is aware that his truth and power serve as a light in which others can see their own.
Willis is an activist and the author of The Risk It Takes to Bloom
Order your copy of the 2024 TIME100 issue here
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com