If you are a big fan of the HBO show Euphoria, you might know Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules Vaughn in the successful teen drama. However, if you are unfamiliar, we are about to delve further into her life so far as there is more to learn about the up-and-coming actress.
Her early life
Drawing is one of Hunter Schafer’s passions in life since she was young. Hunter always used drawing as a creative outlet for her fears and frustrations against society. Her artwork is inspired by anime, graphic novels and comics, for which she became recognised widely from her submissions to an online magazine platform called rookiemag. This gave her many opportunities and allowed her to be scouted by schools and fashion brands via Instagram. She was also a semi-finalist for the US presidential scholar program in her senior year for her drawings.
Her talented designs and enthusiasm for fashion gave her the ambition to pursue a career in the fashion industry. She applied to many fashion schools after high school, but finally accepted a position at the Central Saint Martins Arts College in London. However, her debut as an actress in Euphoria led to Hunter deferring her enrolment to pursue this career instead. Many of her designs are featured in the show as Hunter channelled much of herself into the character Jules.
Her influence in fashion
Not only is Hunter a talented artist, but she has always had a lust for fashion. She would design her own fashion collections and bring her artwork to life buy turning them into garments. Because of her online presence through her artwork, fashion brands began scouting her for their runway shows. After high school, Hunter moved to New York city to build her portfolio as a model and walked shows for brands such as Maison Margiela, MSGM, Byblos and more.
Hunter Schafer closing @Prada's FW22 in Milan… #Euphoria #MFW
— Johanna Fuentes (@jfuentes) February 24, 2022
pic.twitter.com/F8x9KRK9Mo
Her activism
Battling with gender identity and sexuality growing up, Hunter Schafer is a proud transgender woman who advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights. Teen Vogue recognised her activism and listed Hunter as one of the ’21 under 21′ list in 2017. She was passionate about standing against House Bill 2 (“HB2”), specifically single-gender washrooms. This was a campaign for schools and local government facilities to only allow people to use restrooms which corresponded to the gender they were assigned according to their birth certificate. As a trans woman, this posed a problem to her and the community as it posed problematic to use the bathroom they felt most comfortable with. Because of this discrimination, she became the youngest plaintive to challenge HB2 in North Carolina.
Hunter now
Shortly after her modelling debut, Hunter was scouted for the HBO series Euphoria, which many may know her from now. This became her acting debut, and she worked closely with the writers to create the character Jules Vaughn using her life experiences as a trans high school girl. The show’s success launched the careers of all their young cast, including Hunter. She continues to work with fashion brands and magazines for her red-carpet looks and interviews. Additionally, she was invited by Prada to the Met Gala in 2021. Since then, Hunter is as an ambassador, featuring in their campaigns. Hunter remains a trans activist and provides the representation in the fashion and acting industry that is very much needed. She supports trans designers and creators and shines a spotlight on them by wearing their garments, such as Gogo Graham and Adalioryn.
