Ellen Page

Born Ellen Philpotts-Page on the 21st of February, 1987, Ellen’s career in drama began when she starred as Charlie in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ in fifth grade. She began honing her craft with lessons at the tender young age of ten and is now, at the age of twenty-one, set to become the next big thing.

Hailing from Nova Scotia, Canada, the twenty year old has wowed critics with her portal of a pregnant teen in the smash hit comedy Juno. Nominated for four Oscars including the big ones – Best Picture and Best Actress the film has grossed more then a hundred million dollars in the Box Office. Not bad for a low budget Independent feature from a first time screen writer.

Ellen first began her acting career at the young age of ten, starring in the made for TV movie Pit Pony. From that she gained several award nominations and the movie went on to create a spin off television series which Ellen also starred in. From there she joined the show "Trailer Park Boys" as a reoccurring character.

In 2002 Ellen made her first foray into the world of film when she starred in "The Wet Season". She then gained a part in "Marion Bridge" for which she won an ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) award. She returned to TV once again in the series "Rideau Hall". Ellen has

been quoted as saying "The thing I like about acting is being able to lose yourself completely in someone else" a true testament to her acting skills. She has the ability to bring each and everyone one of her characters to life.

"When I get passionate, I'll give you everything until I collapse. That's not in any 'Look at me, I'm a saint' kind of way. It's very selfish in a way. I'm doing this really awesome exploration, and it's like a drug, because I completely disappear." Ellen revealed to Now Toronto in 2005.

She returned to film once again starring in Love That Boy as Suzanna. She then continued to take roles in made for TV movies such as Going for Broke and Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story then returned to features films in Touch and Go. From there Ellen seemed to go back and forth between starring in Television series, made for TV movies and films. In 2003 after playing the part of Natalie Merritt in Mrs. Ashboro's Cat (a made for TV movie) she was rewarded with a Gemini award. It was in 2003 that Ellen realized acting was something she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

By the end of 2003 Ellen had become a well known actress in her native country of Canada. She was going from strength to strength. Next up in 2004 she was cast to play Lilith Sandstrom in the successful television series "ReGenesis". Then in that same year she had roles in Wilby Wonderful and I Downloaded a Ghost. 2005 became a big year for Ellen. First she was cast in the movie Mouth to Mouth, a role for which she shaved her head, and then came her breakthrough performance in Hard Candy playing Hayley Stark, a role she really fought for. "I couldn't believe that such an amazing character had been written for a

young woman," she says. "I had a shaved head [for a role] when I auditioned for the first time, and there were a few people that, obviously, their imagination couldn't deal with that. So I had to go down and... just try and convince them to give me the role."

It was Ellen’s love of the character that helped earned an Chlotrudis Awards, Empire Awards, UK and Online Film Critics Society Awards nomination for the portrayal. "I just saw Hayley as this extremely intelligent, passionate young woman, full of so much integrity. I found her really inspiring, and I just put my heart into that."

Various images of Ellen in January and February

There seems to be no stopping the 5 foot 1 inch dynamo. In what spare time she does have Ellen loves all kinds of different sports and she is learning guitar. She also loves to read, listen to music and go camping with friends. "I'm just this kid from Nova Scotia, you know?"

In 2006 Ellen filmed X-Men :The Last Stand In which she played Kitty Pryde AKA Shadow cat. The part had already been cast, but after seeing Ellen in Hard Candy director Brett Ratner suggested Ellen for that part. The role was originally a “bit” piece but was expanded for Ellen. The film was her first big commercial blockbuster. "It's very different from what I'm used to," she said. "You'll have four cameras shooting at once while 30 explosions go off and Hugh Jackman's smoking a cigar. I never pictured myself in a leather suit. Who does?”

The next year, in 2007, Ellen added to her list of accolates. Her performance in The Tracey Fragments earned the 20-year-old a Genie Award nomination. In an interview with IGN.com Ellen described the film, “It's very, very small. It's very, very, very dark comedy, so dark. That was great. That's exactly what my heart needed. I didn't think you could do something more intense than Hard Candy but boys, oh joys.” The film will open in New York on May 9th, 2008 with a national release to follow.

Ellen in Juno

That very same year she was cast as Juno MacGuff in "Juno", the movie that would become a major hit with critics and movie goers alike. One fan wrote on her facebook: ''[Juno] is everything a girl like me wishes she could be. 'Blunt, brave, chill, caring, hilarious, ingenious, mirthful...totally boss...alive, sparkling...retro...and nonchalantly kick-ass.''

The strong female lead was one of the things that drew Ellen to the film. "One thing I really notice is that I will read a script and it will be good. And I'll say, wow, this is good – the character is great for the guy, not so much for the girlfriend. Often the male is the character that facilitates their own destiny, and the female is a tool for that. So when you get a script like Juno and there's an extremely intelligent, articulate, funny but also kind of abrupt young woman, it's incredibly exciting."

Ellen's character in Juno is a quirky young woman who is not at all prepared to become a mother. Creating such a unique and spunky character didn’t rely solely on Ellen’s electric performance, "Wardrobe became really important, especially the whole fact of creating someone that we haven't seen [in films]," Ellen told the Independent. "Juno wears baggy jeans and a flannel shirt or a sweater vest, and there's no need for an explanation why she dresses that way. And the people at school don't completely ostracise her. So the film doesn't go overboard. She's just a multi-dimensional, whole, honest person."

Her portal of this spirited young woman won her notations for best actress at the Golden Globes, the BAFTA's, Critics Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and even an Academy Award. However Ellen remains humble about being nominated for so many awards over her career so far, "I'm obviously not an actor for awards but of course it’s exciting and it's lovely when people like what you did," she says.

Intelligent and focused, Ellen doesn’t seem about to take a Britney or Lindsay style path but she sympathizes greatly with the troubled young stars. "It's really unfortunate – I wish there was more compassion for those people versus just relentless judgments. It's sickening. I feel bad, you know – they were hyper-sexualised at the age of 16, not guided or taken care of or nurtured properly. And now people treat it like it's a joke. Let's splatter their face on newspapers every day and show them being taken out of their house on a stretcher! It's like, why don't we ask why this is happening? It makes me very angry."

Ellen has many more movie projects lined up. Smart People is complete and due for release later this year. The film costars Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Ellen booked an impressive total of three films in February:

She will costar with Irish actor Cillian Murphy in the psychological thriller Peacock in which she will play a struggling young mother. Shooting on the film begins in May.

She will star in Drew Barrymoore’s directorial debut Whip it which is an adaption of the novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross. Ellen’s character, Bliss Cavendar, has been described as “blue haired, indie-rock loving misfit”. Bliss’ mother would love for her daughter to compete in a local ‘Miss Blue Bonnet’ pageant but Bliss opts instead to take up Roller Derby.

Completing the line up is the horror film Drag me to Hell which will be directed by Spiderman director Sam Raimi. Ellen’s character the victim of a "Mythological, supernatural curse". The movie is set for possible release in 2009. (Just in: Since completing this article rumor has it Ellen has dropped out of the film after being unhappy with the final script.)

She will also star in the movie "Jack and Diane" which co-stars her "Juno" co-star Olivia Thirlby.

It seems that Ellen Page's star is going to continue to rise and get brighter as time goes by though it isn’t fame she’s pursuing; “I'm not aiming to be a celebrity or a movie star. If I just get to act and have a sense of control and have passion in my life and do the thing I love most, and make money from it -- are you serious? -- that's a huge gift, and I'm so grateful for it."

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Ellen Page