Ellen Page To Play Closeted U.S. Marine Saddled By DADT In Next Film, "Lioness"
Fresh off the premiere of her latest flick Freeheld, Ellen Page is set to star again as an openly gay woman in the indie war drama Lioness.
The film tells the true story of Lance Corporal Leslie Martz (to be portrayed by Page), a U.S. Marine and leader of the first Female Engagement Team during her deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
During her service, Martz remained closeted under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and struggled to reconcile her job trying to extract information from the Taliban with working to keep the Iraqui and Afghani women and children in her jurisdiction safe, a priority which she held high.
First-time director Reed Morano, known for her cinematography work on indie gay-themed flicks Kill Your Darlings and The Skeleton Twins, will do the honor.
Speaking with Stephen Colbert this week, Page admitted she feels a weight has been lifted off her shoulders since coming out last February, and can’t imagine what life would be like if she had stayed closeted.
Said Page:
“I feel so grateful to feel how I feel now compared to how I felt when I was a closeted person. It is not a nice place to be. I was sad. It is toxic and I wish that no one had to live that way. I’m a very privileged gay person and those who are affected the most in our community are the most vulnerable. And I feel so grateful to be able to talk about things or share stories and meet in credibly inspiring people and meet people who’ve been touched by my coming out.”
Lioness starts filming next year.
Check out her interview below: