AND THE WINNER IS...

PAGING ELLEN!

ONLY 20, SHE HAS GIVEN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR IN THE MOVIE OF THE YEAR, AND COULD WELL BE ON HER WAY TO BECOMING THE YOUNGEST BEST ACTRESS IN HISTORY—IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU GOT TO KNOW ELLEN PAGE

Ever since I saw the world premiere of Juno (12/5, Fox Searchlight, trailer) at the Toronto Film Festival back in September, I have had a new favorite actress: Ellen Page is barely out of her teenage years and stands only a little over five feet tall, but in this remarkable performance she proves herself a force to be reckoned with. Sure, she was provided with a brilliant script by Diablo Cody, and first-rate direction by Jason Reitman, and a roster of top-notch co-stars like Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, and Allison Janney. But as every one of them has stated, Ellen took the role of a conflicted pregnant teenager and brought to it nuance and vivaciousness that nobody imagined possible.

As we approach the first major honors of the 2007 awards season, it is interesting to observe how the top pundits are positioning themselves on the Best Actress category. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that anyone who has actually seen Juno has placed Ellen at or near the top of their projections. After Toronto, there were only a few of us who had, and our ecstatic response to the performance (especially that of Roger Ebert) was heard by the others, but met largely with disbelief. Even though Page demonstrated great promise in last year's Hard Candy (becoming the only Best Actress winner other than Helen Mirren when the Austin Film Critics Association honored her), people wondered if such a young and largely unknown actress could truly be a serious contender. Now, slowly but surely, with the passing of each week, more of the doubters are attending screenings of Juno, and with very few exceptions are coming away with the same conclusion as the rest of us: Ellen Page is the real deal.

Juno MacGuff is young, beautiful, smart, and sassy, and audiences come to really like—even love—her because she is frank, genuine, and doesn't pretend to be something that she is not. Having gotten to know Ellen Page a little, I believe that she fits that same description, and my personal theory is that if voters are even half as smitten with Ellen as they are with Juno, we are going to have to update the record books to include a new name for the youngest actress to ever win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

In the seven years I have covered the Academy Awards, I cannot remember feeling more invested in any character than Juno, or as excited about the future of any actress as I am about Ellen Page. It is my hope and belief that as you get to know her, both on the big screen and in this interview, you will come to feel similarly...

Can you talk a little about your background—where you were born and raised, what your childhood was like, what some of your early interests were?
Sure. I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. And when I was, like, little, actually I played a lot of sports—I played soccer really competitively, like it was a massive part of my life. And I fell into acting when I was ten.

Growing up, did you go to the movies often? Did you have any films or actors that really impressed or influenced you?
Well, when I was like that young, like, it wasn’t so conscious. But I did love going to movies. I loved going to plays. And, yeah, I remember, like, it being kind of a big part of my life.

You said you broke in when you were ten. How did that come about? And when did you know that acting was what you wanted to do for a living?
It came about ‘cause a local casting director just came looking for kids the right age to audition for, like, a CBC Movie of the Week situation, and I was, like, short and had brown hair, so I got picked, kind of situation. And then I was, you know, put in that, and then that turned into a TV show, and one thing just led from another. And then I think I was about fifteen, and I had, like, my first experience shooting a film that required, like, real emotional transcendence. You know what I mean? Like, real emotional manipulation. And I was working with this actor who I really admire, a Canadian actress named Molly Parker—who’s in Deadwood now—and I was just, like, really inspired, and felt that transcendence, and wanted to continue feeling it, basically.

Many young actors have parents who are difficult or push them into a career. From what I understand, your situation was different. Can you share what your parents do, and what your relationship with them has been like?
Yeah. I mean, I’m incredibly, incredibly lucky. I have parents that never pushed me, but also never, you know, held me back. My mom’s a teacher, and my dad is a designer—graphic designer. And, I don’t know, they’ve always been, yeah, extremely—I mean, when I was a kid, and a teenager, it was, like, you know, “Keep your grades up and you can act” kind of a situation. And then, when it started getting more serious, it was just, like, you know, “Keep your head on your shoulders, make the right decisions,” and, yeah, you know, “we have faith you” kind of thing. So I’m extremely lucky.

Did you ever have formal training for acting, or is this something you picked up from observing? Is that the best way to learn?
Yeah. I mean, I don’t know, obviously, what the best way to learn is, and it’s so different for everybody, but I feel like the progression I’ve had—I’ve been just extremely blessed to have worked with people that I’ve gotten to work with, and be in projects that I’ve gotten to be a part of. And every time I shoot a film, I learn immensely as an actor, and as a person.

Have you, by now, acquired a habit of how you prepare for a part? A lot of actors talk to me about the Method, or something like that. How do you get into becoming someone else?
Well, it’s interesting. It kind of depends on the role. I mean, first and foremost, it’s about my heart, and feeling that character in my heart, and not judging them, and not getting overly analytical, but just connecting to that basic emotion that, you know, if it’s a well-written character, you’re going to relate, you know, ‘cause we’re all made up of the same stuff. But then, you know, it is different when you’re playing, you know, a tortured teenager, true story, from the sixties, in Indiana. You know what I mean? You obviously have research to do. But, first and foremost, for me, it’s about connecting the heart, and then, kind of, letting everything else, you know, come out of that—you know, find out what you need, and what you want, and how you want to portray them.

Looking at the roles you’ve played thus far, there’s a little bit of a pattern. Obviously, there are exceptions, but the characters seem to be intelligent, and intense, and addressing social issues that we don’t always like to talk about, whether it’s pedophilia, or teenage pregnancy, or mental illness, or sexual abuse, or, from what I understand is coming up, lesbian werewolves possibly. Also, I’ve read that you consider yourself to be a feminist. Are these things you consciously look for in a script—the social issue aspect of it—or is that something that just is coincidental?
Yeah—I mean, it’s definitely not conscious. It’s not like I’m like, “Okay, what do I want to, you know, ‘groggle’ on about now?” It’s nothing like that. It’s about reading scripts that feel honest to me, that I want to pursue. And if it’s stereotypical and, I don’t know, devoid of risk or challenge, I mean, it’s just gonna be boring, you know? I mean, an actor can have passion about it—and if that passion doesn’t exist for a character, or for a script, then, you know, I really shouldn’t do it, ‘cause I’m gonna suck. And I know that. And, I think, you know, whenever it is an interesting female role, it’s all of a sudden a ‘feminist’ piece. [laughs] Or, like, there’s all, you know, “Oh, Ellen Page—what a feminist she is!” And it’s, like, “No, actually I’m just playing, like, cool female characters.” You know? It’s sad that that’s what we have to jump to. Do you know what I mean? It’s funny, ‘cause to me it’s like, “No, I’m just playing this girl.” You know? Would you really be asking, you know, Emile Hirsch about this? Is he a ‘maninist’ ‘cause he picks interesting male roles? [laughs] You know what I mean?

Obviously, the main thing I want to ask you about is Juno, but first I hoped you could offer a few sentences about three or four of the major roles that have led up to it—just what they meant to you and your career. The first is the one you referred to making when you were fifteen years old, Marion Bridge. That one was important to you, I believe…
Yeah. That film has been a huge part of my life. It was the first film I shot—the one I was talking about earlier, about, like, kind of transcending emotionally—where I was playing a character that, you know, was going through something that was, I guess, a lot more mature than what I was used to portraying. And, to feel that alteration myself; and to work with someone that I really respected, who was Molly Parker; and to work with a wonderful director, her name is Wiebke von Carolsfeld; and to really, I don’t know, for the first time, really feel myself connecting to the heart of another character, that was a really, kind of, profound experience for me.

The next one is Sherry in Mouth to Mouth…
Yeah. Again, I mean, that was a film, and a role, for a sixteen year old girl that is just, you know, once in a lifetime. You know, at the age of sixteen, I went to Europe for three months to go on this tremendous journey as this character, and as an actor, you know? I mean, this was just this kind of full-on, all-engrossing, all-absorbing role. And that made me grow so much as an actor, and so much as a human being—I mean, I can’t even tell you. That’s just one of the most ridiculous, you know, life-changing experiences that, you know, I’ve had. And I know I’m young, but—just at a really pinnacle time of development, you know? So, you know, if I hadn’t have done that film, you know, I don’t think I’d be able to do the stuff that I’ve been able to do, you know?

The one that critics, especially, associate you with is Hayley in Hard Candy. Was that something of a breakthrough for you?
Yeah. I mean, Hard Candy put my career into, like, hyper-drive. I mean, it’s funny because, like I said, you know, in North America it wasn’t really widely seen. But, for me, in connection to the industry, you know, it was. And it just completely altered everything; I just, you know, ended up on this completely new playing field. I mean, first of all, it was an amazing film to be a part of, and to be able to be that girl. But, yeah, it has opened up so many doors for me, I can’t even begin to tell you. And then, in like, you know, that kind of annoying business side of it, it did really well in international countries—which works out great for me because, you know, when, kind of, you know, you want to shoot a low-budget movie, you know, they do look at, like, “Oh, how much money do you make in Spain?” [laughs] And, luckily, the Spanish, you know, I guess, were really open-minded, and excited about that movie.

And it also caught the attention of director Brett Ratner, I gather, but he had to fight with you to do X-Men, right?
Yeah. I mean, I don’t want to sound like, you know, a jerk, or what have you, but when I got that call about perhaps being involved with X-Men, it was just, you know, just the last thing I ever thought would happen, and that leap just felt so huge to me that I just, you know—I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to take that leap into such a massive project. But then yeah, he did call me, and he had seen Hard Candy. And then I went and met him, and I’m so grateful I did that film because, you know, it’s amazing to be a part of that legacy, and to play Kitty Pryde, and to work with those actors. And, you know, obviously, it’s done so much for me.

That brings us now to the one that I think—and I’m not alone—is going to make you a household name, Juno MacGuff in Juno. I want to kind of establish when and how you first heard about Diablo Cody’s script because, in preparing for this, I read that you actually had the script for years, and I didn’t realize it had been around for that long. So when did you get it, how did you get it, and what were your first impressions of the character?
I first read Juno—I think I was in grade twelve, like, in Halifax, so I would have been, you know, eighteen—seventeen, eighteen. And it blew my mind. I truly fell head over heels in love with it. I became obsessive. It was one of those, like—I’m the first to admit, like, when I can’t play a role, or I’ll read a script and it could be good, and the character could even be kind of good, but I just don’t feel it. And Juno was one of those characters that was, like, “I have to do this! Like, there’s just absolutely no question here, this has to be me.” So it was like, you know, one of those small, unique films so, of course, you know, it takes time to get made. So, you know, it would, kind of, pop up, and tease me, and then go away again. And then, eventually, it just literally all came together—Jason Reitman was directing, we met while I was shooting American Crime in L.A., and I’m so freaking grateful I can’t even begin to tell you.

When I did my interview with Diablo and Jason in Toronto, they both couldn’t say enough about how you brought out nuances in the personality and the physicality of the character that were not anywhere on the page. I know you did some things to prepare independent of those two, and I know you did some things with their assistance, and I hope you can talk about what some of those things were that helped you to complete the picture of what Juno was going to be like…
Sure. I think, first, I was extremely anxious, because I had never done something that was, you know, quote-unquote comedic, or what have you, or had that element to it, and it was intimidating, because I just so wasn’t used to it. And, you know, working with Jason helped me immensely because he’s just so good at establishing balance and tone. And then, you know, I could bring what I thought Juno was. Whether it was her physicality—you know, I wanted to make her really, you know, kinetic, and kind of energetic and, you know, she gets really excited, and she can really abrupt, and she’s kind of, you know, kind of unapologetic, and extremely genuine, and extremely unique. But, you know, I didn’t want to, like, harp on that and make that annoying. Do you know what I mean? Like, “Oh,” you know, “here’s the crazy, unique girl.” You know? I just wanted her to be as genuine as possible.

And, as far as the pregnancy aspect, I have to ask you—I know you picked up a book and then you also acquired some prosthetic bellies. Can you talk about that aspect of it? How you mentally related to someone who is pregnant—which is, from what I understand, not something you’ve gone through—and then also what they did physically to help you appear pregnant…
Sure. Yeah. I mean, that was another—probably obviously—anxiety-ridden aspect of shooting this film, was making it, you know, making the physicality believable, and not forcing it, and not, you know, going over the top and making it annoying and contrived. Like, she’s still a sixteen-year-old girl, and that’s what I wanted to remember—that she had that energy, and that enthusiasm. And, you know, Juno is relatively naïve in some situations and, you know, I wanted that, you know, to remain very much so. And I did get a book, just ‘cause of that kind of general, you know—just wanted to know more about what exactly was, you know, occurring, and what does occur.

That was Pregnancy for Dummies?
[laughs] Yeah, I did buy Pregnancy for Dummies at Chapters—it was an awkward moment. [laughs] But, I mean, the big thing was, you know, the second I would put on the belly, I needed to function in it, you know? Just, all my body language would change. I mean, I think that was the key, just jumping into it, and feeling that, and experiencing that. And then, you know, I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like in a high school-teenage environment with something so noticeably easy to judge—I mean, all people are extremely judgmental, but especially, you know, in high school.

Is it accurate that at least one of the prosthetic bellies kind of stunk a little bit…
That is so true. One of them had some kind of weird finish to it and, truly, like, it smelled like sulfur. Do you know what I mean? Like, when there’s sulfur being let out by a plant—like a factory. So I’d be, like, standing in a doorway with an A.D. who’s, like, sitting there to give me a cue, and I’d be, like, “I promise you that that is not me.” And then they would smell the belly. It was just the weirdest thing. Anyway, we got rid of that belly.

I gather you worked with Diablo on the distinct look of Juno’s room, like the hamburger phone, and that you also played a key role in determining the music in the film…
In regards to the room, it was all—the set decoration is awesome on this film, and they created this really amazing room. But there was always this kind of allowance I had that was really amazing. It was, like, really collaborative creating this character. So I could, kind of, go in and—you know, even like the pins on her backpack—do you know what I mean? Like, I could decide, like, “There’s no way that that would be on her bag,” or something like that. There was just always this, kind of, collaborative, wonderful atmosphere creating this character. In regard to the music, yeah, it was like the, you know, second or third time I’d met Jason, and he was like, “What do you think Juno would listen to?” And I basically said “The Moldy Peaches .” And I climbed on his computer, and I played him The Moldy Peaches. The next thing I knew, you know, he was in love with them, wanted to put the song in the film—and the song that we play at the end of the film actually has been, like, a huge part of my life for years, so it was a pretty amazing moment for me. So, I mean, that was amazing. And, next thing I know, he’s in touch with Kimya, and here I am playing one of my favorite songs in a film, with Kimya Dawson watching on set. I mean, there’s nothing more golden than that.

Aside from the fact that Juno is pregnant and has an unusual vocabulary, she is unlike other teenage girls we see in films in a number of other ways, as well—her outlook, attitude, mannerisms. Sometimes we overanalyze, and maybe that’s what I’m doing, but she outwardly appears to be so young and innocent, but we come to learn that underneath she’s very mature and wise beyond her years. On the few occasions that I’ve been in your company, I came to feel like you and she might share some of that in common. Is there any truth to that all? Is she similar to you at all, or is that looking for something that isn’t there?
No, I think it’s an interesting thing, because people will bring that up—you know, any role you play, you get that. You know what I mean? You get that “How do you relate?” situation. And, truly, like, when I play someone who is honest and well-written, I’m gonna find things that are the same because, again, you know, we’re all made up of the same stuff. So whether I’m playing Juno, or— I have another film coming out where I play, you know, an extremely bitchy, angry, young Republican and, on the surface level, you know, that person is completely different from me. But do I totally feel what’s going on in that, you know, little blood-pumper? You know what I mean? Like, yeah! And that’s one of my favorite things about being an actor, is, like, slipping into that, and slipping into these different, you know characters, you know, really being able to feel their pain, or their excitement, or their longing, or their loss, or their confusion, or what have you. And so, you know, there’s ways that I’m like Juno and, you know, there’s ways that I’m, you know, completely not. So it’s always an interesting question to answer.

After you finished shooting the film, when did you first realize it was going to be something extraordinary? Was it Toronto? When did it first click that this was really gonna be a movie that’s going to connect with people, maybe in a way unlike most of the other films that you or anyone else makes?
Yeah. I mean, I think it’s one of the best scripts I’ve ever read, so that initional—[laughs] initional—that inition—that ini—that original excitement and magic was always there, and shooting this film, there was always that sense of excitement because, you know, we were all a part of something that we totally believed in, and that’s always so beautiful. A beautiful, beautiful feeling. And, I think, you know, I have to say, in regards to that whole, you know, experiencing the way people were responding, it would have to be Toronto, and just sitting in the audience and hearing people react like a rock concert. You know, just to experience that love, you know, right when the credits started rolling, was—I mean, it’s not why you shoot a film but, you know, when it clearly connects to people that well, it’s a really wonderful feeling. And especially when—I think this film explores a lightness of humanity, and it feels really good to be a part of that, and to play a teenage female lead like I don’t think we have ever seen before. And I’m extremely grateful for that.

As you acknowledged, the audience obviously really connects with these characters, and comes to care about them a lot, whether it’s Mark, or Vanessa, or Paulie, or Juno, or even the baby. In your mind, what do you think ends up happening with these people down the road in the future?
Oh! I’ve never thought about that. I don’t know. I mean, I think one of the—I don’t know, it’s hard to talk about it without giving the ending away.

That’s true. I’ll put a SPOILER ALERT up…
Okay. I mean, I think one of the big things for Juno is, you know, she’s obviously been really hurt in her life—she’s been abandoned, basically, by her mother—and when she experiences that genuine love that Vanessa has, and that longing, and that, you know, desire to be the best mother she could possibly be, and the warmest she could possibly be, I think, you know, that’s a really powerful thing for Juno. And I think, you know—basically, I think Vanessa is gonna be a really beautiful, caring mom. And, you know, that’s all, you know, we can hope for, really. And, you know, hopefully Mark figures his shit out. [laughs] And, you know, people just keep doing their thing.

I feel like I’ve come to know you at a turning point in your career, and thinking about that made me recall a question that I had a chance to ask Brad Pitt at the Jesse James press conference in Toronto, which was basically if ever wished he could go back in time and make different decisions, or take different roles, or do anything that might have prevented his life from ending up as the circus that fame has made it. And he said it’s very difficult to think like that because when he first got into the business, he just wanted to be able to work regularly, and hopefully get good roles, and then suddenly the fame came along, unplanned, and changed everything. He felt like, in a way, it’s a deal with the devil. Many of us believe that after Juno opens on December 5, you’re going to become a household name and a household face. And I can see, even in the time since I saw you in Toronto, that you have lost some of your anonymity and privacy, just as a byproduct of how high-profile the movie and you are becoming. So, looking ahead to the release of the film, I imagine you’re feeling very excited, but is there also a part of it that’s scary—to think that your life might be about to, sort of, change forever?
[Pauses for a few moments.] Of course. And, it’s funny you say that because it is what my life is like right now—it’s extremely surreal. And I do constantly have people coming up to me and saying, like, “You do realize, in the next couple of months, your life’s completely gonna change.” And they say it in this way that’s, like—just, it’s full of weird projection in their voice. I mean, the funny thing is I am an actor because, like, I absolutely love to act. And I hope that this all just represents that it’s gonna give me more choice, and more control—if you’ve been an actor at any age, you know it’s a really, really profound gift. I feel like you can be as famous as you want to be. I feel like you do have control over that. And I don’t know what to expect. All I know is that I’m gonna keep my feet on the ground, and keep pursuing projects that excite me and challenge me. And that’s all I really know, you know, what to say at this point.

Speaking of that sort of career trajectory, people are looking at the serious nature of your work thus far, and your maturity, and they’re saying, “She’s the new Jodie Foster!” or “She’s the new” whoever. Is there someone else whose career trajectory you would like to follow, or do you feel like you carve out your own path?
I feel like you carve out your own path. But there’s definitely people, you know, who inspire me, like Jodie Foster, like Sissy Spacek, like Kate Winslet, Catherine Keener, Laura Linney—you know, really strong females who, you know, take risks, and clearly have really good intentions, and do this for the right reasons.

You picked some good names there. I know you have had a chance to work with Catherine Keener already. Do you hope to work with these people down the line?
If they want to. Yeah, I’m definitely game. You know, unfortunately nothing is planned with any of those names. Yeah, we’ll see, I guess.

As I’m sure you’re well aware, it’s now Oscar season, which means pundits are doing a lot of speculating about who and what are going to be nominated. Ever since Toronto, Junohas been in the thick of Best Picture talk, and you are quickly shooting up to the top of Best Actress predictions. If you were to win, you would become the youngest winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress in history. I know it’s something that is often uncomfortable for actors to talk about, since that’s not why you do what you do, but that ultimately is a major reason why studios put talent out there to talk to the press, and it’s a fact that it’s going on, so what do you make of it all?
[Pauses for a few moments.] I think it’s—again, right now, everything is extremely surreal. And people are bringing that up a lot. And my reply is always, kind of, like, “You know, I’ve seen For Your Consideration.” You know? I mean, I’m not gonna lie, it’s great to know that people are responding so well to the film and, you know, whatever it is they’re responding to that I do. You know, to me, it represents—regardless of what happens—that people might stick me in a couple more movies. And I do this because I love to act, and I love film, and if that means that, you know, I get to continue doing what I love, and being able to make decisions, and have control, you know, that’s just an insane gift, and I couldn’t be more grateful. And all that other stuff is just that other crazy stuff that comes along with it, you know? So, you know, my answer is just, you know, “We’ll see."