Euphoria star Hunter Schafer discusses her sudden rise to fame following her breakout role on the hit show in the new issue of Elle UK.
Schafer was 21 when she made her acting debut portraying Jules Vaughan on the HBO drama, which centres on a group of students struggling with social issues and substance abuse.
Now 24, the actor has reached the heights of her already-established co-star Zendaya, and has continued to break barriers in the fashion and acting world as she represents the trans community.
Speaking on her popularity, Schafer told Elle UK: “From the airing of the first episode to my first million followers on Instagram, it was, like, a month. It was a huge adjustment, for sure.
“Nobody really knew if the show was going to hit like that, you know? It’s strange, because I thought it would kind of level off after season one, but season two felt like it doubled in size.”
Prior to securing her Euphoria role, Schafer worked as a successful model with several brands, including Prada and Dior, and continues to juggle both careers as she’s starred in fashion campaigns while also filming season two of the show.
The New Jersey-born actor credited her modelling agency for leading her to acting success, as she revealed that they informed her about the audition of Jules in Euphoria, adding: “I wasn’t looking for it.”
Four years on from the first season of the show, Schafer has adjusted to life in the limelight.
“I get recognised pretty much every day,” she said.
“I used to get really dressed up. I still love doing that. But I know that now comes with more attention. So, I’ve learned to keep it a little more low-key.”
Schafer noted her social life as having changed the most since finding fame, saying: “That’s been pretty disorientating. But it’s also things like the financial side of things.
“That side of my life has changed greatly and it’s been amazing, but it’s also been so important I channel that into things and people I care about.”
Having reached a position where more opportunities are being presented, Schafer shared her intention to find roles that are different to her breakout character Jules moving forward.
“When I first started reading scripts, people just wanted to send me a lot of roles like Jules or about how I identify,” the actor continued.
“I got a little scared of getting stuck in the same sort of role over and over again. I’ve been pretty intentional about making sure everything feels a step away from the other and a little bit different.”
