Ellen Page found her life ''toxic'' before she came out as gay.

The 'Freeheld' star, who announced she is a lesbian last year, has admitted she felt trapped and lonely hiding her real sexuality from everyone, and is incredible ''grateful'' she can now live her life in the public eye freely and openly.

Speaking on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' last night (29.09.15), she said: ''I feel so grateful for it, I feel so grateful to feel how I feel now, compared to [how I felt] as a closeted person. It's a nice place to be.

Speaking about her life before, she added: ''I was sad ... it is toxic and I wish that no one would have to live that way.''

the 28-year-old actress recently admitted she feels ''lucky'' to be dating her girlfriend Samantha Thomas and is proud to be in a place to ''love someone openly.''

Asked how it feels to celebrate the release of her new movie, in which she stars as Stacie Andree, who fought for the right to inherit her late partner Laurel Hester's pension benefits, with the artist by her side, she said: ''So far, that's not something I've experienced in my life. And to love someone openly, to hold someone's hand walking down the street, it's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful thing, and I'm just lucky enough to have someone in my life as special as her.''

Ellen, who was born in Canada, where gay marriage has been legal since 2005, is set to receive the prestigious National Vanguard Award from the Human Rights Campaign in Washington D.C. next Saturday (03.10.15) from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.