Is the actor who plays Jules trans

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1. She's been an activist since high school
2. She's got serious modeling cred
3. When did she transition?
4. She wants to open an art gallery for trans artists
5. Euphoria is her first acting gig
1. Euphoria is her first-ever acting role.
2. She is an LGBTQ+ advocate.
3. She also transitioned in high school similar to her character Jules.
4. She was a model in New York City prior to landing her new role.
5. She’s an artist.

By Amy Lamare — Written on Jul 04, 2019

Have you started watching HBO's Euphoria yet? Why not? Oh, are you waiting for a few episodes to build up? I get that, we're soooo spoiled by Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime dropping entire seasons of shows at once and allowing us to binge them deliciously. Not so with HBO (I'm looking at you Big Little Lies). One of the breakout stars of Euphoria is Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules, one of the most badass characters on any show. Hunter is brand-new to acting and we sure hope we get to see a lot more of her. She's already made a name for herself as a trans model and activist. Who plays Jules on Euphoria on HBO?

1. She's been an activist since high school

Hunter Schafer was born in 1999 in Raleigh, North Carolina to Katy and Mac Schafer. Her dad is a pastor at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church. She has three younger siblings. While Hunter was in high school she protested against the North Carolina Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, known as the "bathroom bill." The controversial bill required people to use the restroom for the sex they were assigned at birth. Hunter's preferred pronouns are she/her. She uses the ungendered Mx. as a formal title. In an interview, she said that the internet really helped her deal with her gender identity. She turned to YouTube and social media to learn about other trans people's transition experiences and timelines. She moved to New York after graduating from high school in 2017.

2. She's got serious modeling cred

Hunter told the New York Times: "Walking runway has been something I didn’t even think would be a possibility in my lifetime with my circumstances and my origins. Despite that, 5'10" Hunter has walked in shows for Versus Versace, Helmut Lang, Miu Miu, Dior, Rick Owens Tommy Holfiger, Maison Margiela, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, Emilio Pucci, Ann Demeulemeester and Erdem, among others.

3. When did she transition?

Hunter was assigned a male gender when she was born but always found herself searching for and expressing her femininity through fashion and art. She started transitioning in high school. She told the New York Times: “What I’m trying to do in all senses is deconstruct our idea of gender, and use the privileges that come with looking like a model to bring attention to that."

4. She wants to open an art gallery for trans artists

Hunter Schafer plans to open a studio and gallery in Manhattan for trans artists using the grant money she received when she was named on of Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 winners. The annual contest honors and celebrates young trailblazers.

5. Euphoria is her first acting gig

Euphoria is Hunter's first acting gig. The teen drama stars Zandaya as Rue, a 17-year-old recovering drug addict who befriends Jules, a trans girl who recently moved to Rue's town. Hunter worked closely with the show's creators to make sure Jules' experience as a trans girl mirrored her own and rang true. Hunter told W Magazine: “I went to an arts high school and was surrounded by drama students who dreamed of working in the industry. I almost feel a sense of guilt because I didn’t go to acting school. I think I got the role because I was perhaps the best contender for telling Jules’s story.”

Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.

Everyone is talking about HBO‘s new show Euphoria, not solely because of its lead actress Zendaya. Another breakout star from the series is the 20-year-old trans actress Hunter Schafer. If you’ve tuned into the first four episodes, you’ve probably fallen for Schafer’s soft-spoken character Jules who typically wears pastel, vintage-inspired looks. Jules fits right in amongst the alcohol-ridden parties, teenage friendships, and the honest portrayal of Generation Z.

Her compelling characteristics are evident in the pilot episode in which viewers catch a glimpse into her interesting high school life with her father and her new friend Rue (Zendaya). The show continues to dig deeper into Jules’ past: her transition, her life with her mother and her current dating app obsession which is also a bit dangerous.

If you’re wondering what led to Schafer landing her current role, keep scrolling to read five things you should know about the budding actress.

1. Euphoria is her first-ever acting role.

According to The New York Times, Euphoria is the Raleigh, North Carolina native’s first acting gig. She actually tried out for the role after hearing about an open casting call, as reported by Who What Wear. In the New York Times feature interview, she shares:

“I feel so lucky to have “Euphoria” as a first experience with taking on a character and exploring acting, and in having this group of people as well. I couldn’t be happier about the situation, and so whatever people are calling me is just the cherry on top.”

2. She is an LGBTQ+ advocate.

As a high school student, she was a plaintiff in the American Civil Liberties Union‘s 2016 lawsuit against North Carolina House Bill 2. The bill “required people to use the restroom for the gender they were assigned at birth,” as reported by The New York Times. In a personal essay for Teen Vogue, Schafer wrote:

“It’s a devastating piece of legislation that also banned anti-discrimination protections for the state’s entire LGBTQ community. After detractors criticized Governor Pat McCrory for signing such a discriminatory bill, he said the restroom part of it was just ‘common sense.’ Except it doesn’t make sense to invalidate my identity and put me in possible danger by forcing me to use the men’s restroom. I was appalled and desperately wanted to fight back. A few weeks after the bill passed, I joined a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and several other plaintiffs challenging HB2.”

3. She also transitioned in high school similar to her character Jules.

In addition to sharing insight on her experience acting in the show Euphoria, Schafer expressed that she transitioned early in high school. In the New York Times feature, she expanded on this by noting that transitioning while in public school was a “pretty intense experience.” She later shared that she knew she could bring pieces of herself to the role of Jules due to her and the character’s similarities. When discussing her character, Hunter later said:

“But I think one of Jules’s main battles is her desire for romance and normalcy and love, which I think she’s kind of locked down a routine as far as getting some form of that. But of course it’s not healthy, and I can relate to that point in my life. I didn’t act out on it, but I certainly desired to be treated a certain way in order to affirm my femininity.”

4. She was a model in New York City prior to landing her new role.

Before landing her role in Euphoria, Schafer modeled for Versus Versace, Helmut Lang, R13, Vogue Japan and i-D while living in New York City, according to Teen Vogue. Back in 2017, she landed on the publication’s 21 under 21 list. More of her recent modeling gigs have included landing covers for Dazed and Paper.

In a feature with W, she expanded on moving out of the fashion industry:

“Since it’s no longer my singular source of income, I’ve withdrawn from fashion spaces a bit. However, I still have a deep love for fashion and want to continue to work with designers and houses that inspire me—like Rick Owens, whose show I would no doubt walk in again if the opportunity arose. But long term, I would love to collaborate with my fashion idols more than anything else.”

5. She’s an artist.

If you scroll through Schafer’s Instagram profile, you’ll notice that she occasionally shares hand-drawn artwork. In a post from December, she shared that the first publication her artwork was featured in was the now-defunct Rookie magazine founded by writer Tavi Gevinson. If you continue scrolling through her Instagram you’ll come across a self portrait, an acrylic work, a part of a comic she drew, sketches and more.