The Umbrella Academy showrunner says he rewrote season 3 after Elliot Page came out
The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman revealed that he rewrote season 3 after Elliot Page’s transition. Back in 2020, the 35-year-old actor came out as trans in a heartfelt post on social media. “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.
I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life,” he wrote. After his landmark announcement, initial reports revealed that his character in the popular Netflix series would not be rewritten as trans.
However, it was later confirmed that his real-life transition would be reflected in Number Seven/Viktor Hargreeves. In a recent interview with ET, Blackman opened up about the creative process behind the decision. “I had already finished the season, the writers were gone, scripts were finished and I got a call from Elliot one day saying, ‘I’m transitioning.’ I was very happy for him,” he explained. “To his credit, he didn’t demand that I write it into the story.
He said, ‘Do what you want. I trust you. Write it in, don’t write it in, whatever you want to do’ Elliot is very kind like that.” Blackman went on to say that while rewriting Page’s character, he looked to the Inception actor and GLAAD Media Institute Vice President Thomas Page McBee for guidance. “[Thomas has] been through the experience and he became my guide.
