Elliot Page Developed Stress-Induced Shingles on 'Inception' Set, Felt ‘Out of Place’ Among Cisgender Costars

In his memoir "Pageboy", Elliot Page says "shingles communicated how my body felt" as he tried to understand his role in the film

Elliot Page suffered a bout of stress-induced shingles while filming the 2010 blockbuster Inception — due to feeling “out of place” among cisgender costars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy.

Page made the revelation in Pageboy, the actor’s recently published memoir. In it, Page reflects on his life — from his child stardom in Canada to U.S. breakthrough (thanks to 2007’s Juno), and the way he grappled with his identity in the public eye.

Although Page, who came out as transgender in 2020, maintains that everyone on the Inception set was “delightful to work with, I felt out of place. In a cast full of cis men, I did not understand the role I found myself in.”

The internal conflict led to Page getting shingles.

“Shingles communicated the stress my body felt. It popped out of my spine while filming Inception when I was twenty-two.”

Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus – the same virus that causes chicken pox — according to the Mayo Clinic. While it isn’t life-threatening, “it can be very painful.”

The National Institute of Health found that “high levels of psychological stress” can trigger the onset of shingles, which is marked by painful chicken pox-like blisters.

Page, now 36, was says he was under stress while filming the Christopher Nolan-directed epic, writing, “'For the first two weeks of the film, I joked I would be recast with Keira Knightley, and rightfully so.”

Related: Elliot Page and Mom Admire His Times Square Billboard for New Memoir 'Pageboy' in N.Y.C.

It’s the latest revelation from Pageboy, in which the actor also discussed shocking moments from his past, such as the time an A-list actor assaulted him at a 2014 party shortly after Page had come out as gay.

The actor, whom Page describes as an “acquaintance,” told Page that "you aren't gay. That doesn’t exist. You are just afraid of men.” He then told Page: “I’m going to f—k you to make you realize you aren’t gay.”

Related: Elliot Page Says He and Olivia Thirlby Had Sex 'All the Time' Making 'Juno': 'We Thought We Were Subtle'

They saw each other at the gym a few days later. The actor said, “I don’t have a problem with gay people I swear.”

“I think you might,” Page replied.

In the book, Page also praises those who supported him on his journey — including Catherine Keener, whom he met on the set of the 2007 drama An American Crime.

“Catherine I've known since I was 19, and she's been one of the most important people in my life…During the whole sort of Juno awards season time — which was overwhelming to say the least — she let me live with her,” Page recalls.

"She has been someone that I could rely on and go to without question. Since I've met her, she's one of the closest people to me in my life. And one of those people who you don't really know who you'd be without.”

Page writes that Whip It costars Kristen Wiig and Alia Shawkat were other sources of support.

“Kristen, who, actually I first met on SNL but on Whip It properly, is also someone who at very difficult, challenging moments in my life just showed up. Although it was not surprising because she's an incredible person. Alia has also been a person in my life who, like Kristen, just always encouraged me to be my authentic self.”

Before the release of Pageboy, the actor told PEOPLE that he was “slightly overwhelmed” about releasing the book, “but grateful.”

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“I didn't think I could write a book,” Page told PEOPLE exclusively.

“Books, particularly memoirs, have really shifted my life, offered me inspiration, comfort, been humbling, all of those things. And I think this period of not just hate, of course, but misinformation or just blatant lies about LGTBQ+ lives, about our healthcare, it felt like the right time.”

And as Page told PEOPLE, "There's obviously been very difficult moments. I do feel like I kind of barely made it in many ways. But today, I'm just me and grateful to be here and alive and taking one step at a time.”

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