Oprah Winfrey was ‘more nervous’ about Elliot Page interview than anything before
"I wanted to get it right since I was 'on the poster' for getting it wrong," said Oprah, referring to the trailer for trans representation doc Disclosure
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Apple TV
Oprah Winfrey has spoken of her nerves over interviewing Elliot Page, after her history with trans interviewees was pulled up in 2020 documentary Disclosure.
The talk show queen sat down with Page last month for the Oscar-nominated actor’s first filmed interview since coming out as trans last December.
During the headline-generating The Oprah Conversation interview, Page said the best part of transitioning was “getting out of the shower and the towel is around your waist, and you’re looking at yourself in the mirror and you’re just like: ‘There I am.'”
“I wanted to get it right”
Speaking about the Apple TV broadcast in a video interview with Nick Adams, Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Oprah said: “I want to thank you and GLAAD for your support in helping me with this interview. I was actually more nervous about this interview than anything because I wanted to get it right, since I was on the poster for getting it wrong for the trailer for Disclosure.”
Netflix film Disclosure charts the history of trans representation in TV and film over the decades. (Click here to read our interview with director Sam Feder.) In it, a comparison is drawn between Oprah’s interviewing style with a trans supermodel in the 90s, and Pose director Janet Mock in 2015.
Adams then told Oprah: “It wasn’t so much wrong as that was a moment in time for all talk shows and journalists. Also, the movement to your interview with Janet Mock and now with Elliot, is what everybody needs to do.”
Adding she had to do a lot of “homework” before the Elliot Page interview, Oprah continued: “Hopefully you can see that I wanted to do better and wanted to help everybody else do better. We thank you at GLAAD for leading us on that path.”
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