As Gucci releases its new Guilty Elixir de Parfum, the actor opens up about his role in the campaign, his “challenging and intense” bestselling memoir, and his quest for self-acceptance
Earlier this year, Elliot Page appeared in a dreamy short for Gucci’s Guilty perfume campaign. The clip captured the actor wandering around an opulent mid-century hideaway, watering sun-dappled hydrangeas and swaying to the dulcet doo-wop of The Harptones’ Life Is But A Dream. His companions, rapper A$AP Rocky and actress Julia Garner, were also seen enjoying their own luxuries, wrapping their bodies in lavish furs and spritzing themselves in Gucci perfume.
The trio’s relationship is shrouded in mystery, but it’s implied – through several flirtatious glances – that it’s more than just three friends on a getaway. “[They’re] a cute throuple,” Page tells AnOther. “They’re obviously into each other and connected – it doesn’t mean there might not be some moments of drama, but that’s life. It was just these three people that were enjoying each other’s company.”
The campaign, shot by Glen Luchford, is billed as an ode to “self-acceptance, friendship and love in all its forms” – and the chemistry between the three leads feels suitably charged. They cuddle on the sofa together, whisper in each other’s ears, and curl up close on plush white rugs. At one point, A$AP tenderly strokes Page’s hair. “I was nervous,” the actor admits. “I hadn’t met A$AP Rocky or Julia before and I wasn’t sure what to expect.” Thankfully, he says, they all connected immediately. “When the last day was ending I think we were all a little sad, like, ‘Oh, we’re not going to see each other tomorrow in this strange house we’ve lived in for the last few days’. They’re just both wonderful people, it’s that simple – like, sincere and grounded and open.”
This collaboration with Gucci (a brand he loves) was released in a momentous year for Page. In June, he published his long-awaited memoir Pageboy – an instant bestseller, startling in its candour, that interrogates gender, homophobia, transphobia, eating disorders, and the perils of the Hollywood movie industry. He talks openly about his suffocating early struggles with fame, as well as what it was like to transition in the public eye (Page came out as transgender in December 2020). As a result, he says that writing the book was a “challenging and intense” experience, but ultimately a healing one. “There were definitely moments of like, ‘wait, what am I doing? But I actually thoroughly enjoyed it,” Page says. “I fantasise about writing fiction, but I need a good idea first. I’d love to write a novel.”
“The shame you might be carrying is not yours. It’s theirs. You know who you are, so do not let other people’s projections affect that” – Elliot Page
Page also admits to being in a much better place now. “I have got more comfortable with fame, I think,” he says. “I’m sure that just relates to feeling more embodied just in general.” The routines that helped, he adds, have been the ones away from the glare of the spotlight: “Walking my dog and getting out into nature are things that I crave and definitely help me immensely. A nice hike. Getting to swim in the ocean. All of those moments I find incredibly soothing. Also spending time with friends when I have the free time, connecting with the people that I love.”
It makes sense, then, that Gucci would tap the actor for a campaign centred around self-acceptance and ‘love in all its forms’. In the last three years, Page has established himself firmly as an advocate for trans rights – though being a role model for millions presents its own challenges. “It can be daunting and lonely in that you don’t want to let people down,” he says. “I think Laverne Cox said it well [when she] referred to herself as a ‘possibility model’, [by just] being a trans person out in the world, existing and loving who you are. I mostly just feel honoured if anything I’m doing helps anyone, or in any way makes them feel seen or reflected or slightly less alone. I know how much that’s meant to me in my life.”
Does he have any parting advice for younger people struggling with self-acceptance at the moment? “I feel like right now it’s just so brutal,” he says slowly, carefully weighing the significance of each word. “One thing I keep coming back to, which I wish I had known and felt and could have embraced a long time ago, is that the shame that you might be carrying – or the embarrassment, or pain or discomfort that is manifesting in your mind and body because of that – is not yours. It’s theirs. You know who you are, so do not let other people’s projections affect that.” He pauses, before adding finally: “You just need to love yourself and hold onto yourself. You are a special, magical person who deserves to live and thrive. The shame is not yours, it’s theirs.”
Gucci Guilty Elixir is available exclusively at House of Fraser.
