Hunter Schafer is a model, actress, and LGBTQ rights, advocate. She made her debut as an actor in 2019 as Jules Vaughn, a transgender high school student in the television series, Euphoria.
What is known of Hunter Schafer’s early life?
Parents Katy and Mac Schafer welcomed Schafer into the world on December 31, 1998 in Trenton, New Jersey. Their family moved between churches and congregations in New Jersey, Arizona, and finally Raleigh, North Carolina. Her father is a Presbyterian preacher. She has two sisters and a brother.
Schafer protested the North Carolina Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act when she was a high school student. Schafer was included on Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21” list in 2017 as a result of her campaigning against the act. She was a junior in high school when Schafer was added as a plaintiff in the Carcao v. McCrory lawsuit challenging the legislation on April 21, 2016.
Schafer qualified in the semifinals of the US Presidential Scholars Program during her senior year. After transferring from Needham B. Broughton High School, she completed the High School Visual Arts program in 2017 at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
In order to concentrate on her work, Schafer postponed her enrollment at an arts college in London, England, after graduating from high school.
What was Hunter Schafer’s personal life experiences?
Schafer identifies as a trans woman. She claimed in an interview that one thing that helped her deal with her gender identification was using social media to research people’s story. She decided to transition after receiving a dysphoria diagnosis when she was in ninth grade. She had stated that because she does not identify as a cis girl and don’t feel that way, she does like people to know that she is proud to identify as transgender. In 2019, Schafer claimed to be closer to identifying as a lesbian. She claimed on Twitter in December 2021 that she is either bi or pan.
How did Hunter Schafer start her career?
In 2017, Schafer was on the “21 Under 21” list for her advocacy of HB2 and gave her an interview with Hillary Clinton by Teen Vogue.
Schafer has worked as a model for a variety of fashion companies, including brands such as Gucci, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Dior, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, Maison Margiela, Vera Wang, Versus Versace and more.
Schafer made her acting debut in the HBO series Euphoria in 2019. She won praise for her work in the show. She not only played the series’ main character, but she also worked as a co-executive producer and co-wrote an episode with Sam Levinson, the show’s creator. She worked with him to ensure that the show’s plot accurately represent her experience with her character’s story.
In 2020, Schafer was listed as one of the heroes who were pushing the nation toward equality, acceptance, and decency for all people by the magazine Queerty. She received the honor on the month of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade. Her inclusion on Time’s Next list of “100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future” in 2021 was accompanied by a laudatory essay by Euphoria co-star Zendaya.
What was the controversy that made fans upset with Hunter Schafer?
In August 2022, Schafer liked and left a comment on an Instagram post that accused non-binary people of fighting for the trans community to be protected from discrimination and from having their identities treated as a medical problem requiring dysphoria. In the Instagram post by user @piggytaiwan accusing the non-binary community of being responsible for conservative legislation that declares hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgery unnecessary in Florida. Fans who identify as queer and trans experienced criticism over this, with many blaming her of supporting and promoting anti-non-binary ideas.
What was Hunter Schafer’s journey on the show, Euphoria?
Hunter Schafer did speak candidly about her experience getting her big break in Euphoria, admitting that the first season was spent learning on the job.
Hunter’s first job was as a model, and because of her work with brands like Dior and Marc Jacobs, she was approached to try out for the TV series Euphoria.
The 23-year-old actress claimed in an interview with i-D magazine that season one was similar to a very demanding acting course. She explains how she recalls it being a challenging experience for her and feeling like she had no idea what she was doing even in the pilot episode.
Anyone who has watched the show can tell that Hunter has more than fully embraced the part of Jules. Hunter also feels much more at ease when performing.
She claims that she has arrived at a point where she feels confident in continuing to do this. She also makes mention of how acting is so unique. When it comes to creating art, there is nothing quite like it.
In addition to writing and co-producing one of the episodes centred on her character, Hunter has also delved into the world of Euphoria’s production. The episode, which was produced to fill the gap between the first two seasons, was focused on Jules speaking with her therapist, which added a further layer of complexity.
According to Hunter, the episode actually just provided the writers with more space to delve further into her characters’ mind, her subconsciouses and headspace. She noted that, having recently recovered from a depressive episode, working on the episode behind the scenes came at the perfect time.
She remembers how in the summer of 2020, she was in a really raw place. She continued by saying that the episode actually served as a lifeline for her when she was emerging from the worst depression she had ever experienced and needed a place to channel all of her energy.
Hunter continued by saying that the episode was intended to explore a 17-year-old trans girl who was still coming to terms with who she was in part. When asked about her thoughts on creating the episode, Hunter noted that it was a really fantastic chance to bring certain themes to TV that had not previously been covered, such as what is genuinely going on in the minds of young trans people other than them trying to figure out their sexuality.