Elliot Page is smiling through the ridiculous criticism around his casting of The Odyssey with his girlfriend by his side. The actor stepped onto the red carpet Tuesday night with girlfriend Julia Shiplett, marking another rare public appearance for the couple as excitement with a side of hatred continues to build around Christopher Nolan’s anticipated movie.
Page kept things classic in an oversized navy suit paired with a striped button-down and black dress shoes, while Shiplett opted for an elegant chocolate-brown floor-length gown with a draped neckline.
© GettyThe pair posed arm in arm, smiling for photographers as they arrived for one of the film’s biggest premieres yet.
© GettyThe appearance comes just over a year after Page and Shiplett publicly confirmed their relationship. In June 2025, the Juno star quietly introduced the romance by sharing a selfie of the pair standing on a rainbow-painted street, captioning the post with nothing more than a rainbow and heart emoji.
© GettyA few months later, they made their official red-carpet debut together at a Gucci event during Milan Fashion Week and have since occasionally shared glimpses of their relationship on social media.
© GettyFor Page, the premiere also arrives during a conversation that has extended far beyond the film itself. Some online commentators criticized the casting before the actor’s role had even been confirmed, fueling speculation based largely on brief trailer footage.
Ahead of The Odyssey’s release, Nolan addressed criticism of the project’s casting and creative choices, including backlash over Page’s involvement.
© GettyNolan made it clear he isn’t paying attention to the noise. “These conversations that happen before people see the film—they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet,” he told The Telegraph in a story published July 10, adding that public debates before a movie’s release simply “come with the territory.”
© Gareth CattermoleThe Oscar-winning director compared the scrutiny to what he experienced while making The Dark Knight trilogy, recalling how audiences questioned everything from the source material to casting decisions, including Heath Ledger’s now-iconic turn as the Joker.
“What I learnt over my time on that trilogy is you can’t worry about any of that at all,” Nolan said. “What you have to do is honor the original text by interpreting it in the strongest way you personally can.”
He echoed that support in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. Nolan and Page had first worked together on Inception before his transition. “It was really thrilling to work with Elliot again,” Nolan said. “I felt that his character in The Odyssey brings something really special to it.”
He continued by explaining that Page’s role helps embody the emotional cost of Odysseus’ journey. “You’re looking to put a face on the tragedy of war,” Nolan said. “And I think he did an incredible job.”
In the film, Page portrays Sinon, a Greek soldier whose story becomes intertwined with Odysseus, played by Matt Damon. But AI videos and fake news had many people believe he would play Achilles or Elpenor.
As for Shiplett, she has been carving out a successful career of her own. The actress and comedian recently wrapped filming the second season of Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating after earning praise for her performance as Mimi.
© John LamparskiHer résumé also includes Love Life, Happiness for Beginners, Crashing, and voice work on American Dad!.
Read the full article here
