Ian McKellen says he's 'so happy' for 'X-Men' co-star Elliot Page after they came out as trans

Watch: Ian McKellen is happy for Elliot Page

Sir Ian McKellen has revealed he is “so happy” for his X-Men co-star Elliot Page, after the actor came out as transgender in December.

McKellen met Page when they worked together on 2006 superhero sequel X-Men: The Last Stand, prior to the latter’s breakthrough leading role in Juno.

Read more: Where are the X-Men cast now?

The 81-year-old recalled to Attitude Magazine that he noticed Page’s seeming lack of confidence back then during a scene in which he couldn’t hear when the then-teenager had finished speaking.

He added: “I said: 'Look, if you can’t speak up, would you mind when you’re finished speaking, just dropping your hand so I know when you’ve finished speaking?'

"And then they came out [as gay] years later and suddenly you couldn’t stop them talking. You heard everything.

“And now they’re Elliot. And I’m so happy for Elliot. And so disappointed in myself that I didn’t detect what their difficulty was with communicating."

Read more: Kristen Stewart says she was “hounded” as a queer actor

Page announced in December that he is transgender, writing: “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.”

He left social media briefly after that, but returned just before Christmas to thank his followers for their “love and support” in the wake of the announcement.

Page came to prominence for his role as a pregnant teen in Juno, earning nominations for an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe.

He reprised his role as Kitty Pryde for 2017 X-Men blockbuster Days of Future Past and took on a number of prominent indie film roles, as well as playing Vanya Hargreeves in Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.

The streamer has indicated that Page will continue to play the role in the wake of his announcement.

Read more: Umbrella Academy showrunner discusses S2 ending

Page has predominantly voice roles on the way in his near future, including in the animated series based on video game Ark: Survival Evolved, alongside an eclectic ensemble including Russell Crowe and Vin Diesel.

Watch: Trans stars offer support to Elliot Page