Actress Ellen Page who won the hearts of cinema-goers as the pregnant teenager in the film Juno, has come out as gay.

"I'm here today because I am gay," the 26-year-old told a Las Vegas conference of counsellors who work with teenagers who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual or queer, known as LGBTQ.

A video of her speech was posted on the Los Angeles Times website.

Page said she suffered for years because she was afraid to come out.

"I'm standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain," she said.

The paper's report said that at one point the audience rose to its feet in applause.