Hunter Schafer
Famous BisHunter Schafer is an American actress and model, best known for her roles in HBO’s Euphoria (2019-) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023).
Schafer was born in New Jersey to parents Katy and Mac Schafer. She is the oldest of four siblings. Her father is a Presbyterian minister, and their family moved between churches and congregations in New Jersey before finally settling in North Carolina.
Schafer has said she started expressing femininity as a toddler. At the age of 13, Schafer came out to her parents as a gay boy, but she started experiencing gender dysphoria. She transitioned as a trans girl at 15 after being diagnosed with dysphoria. Schafer has stated that the Internet helped her cope with her gender identity, as she turned to YouTube and social media to learn about people’s transition timelines.
She was the youngest plaintiff in the ACLU’s lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s House Bill 2, the so-called “bathroom bill”, which prevented transgender people from using the restroom consistent with their gender identity.[1] She became an LGBT activist, and for her activism, Teen Vogue listed her on its “21 Under 21” list and granted her an interview with Hillary Clinton.
She graduated from the High School Visual Arts program at the North Carolina School of the Arts and began modeling shortly after. Schafer has modeled for Prada, Dior, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, and Versus Versace, among other fashion houses. In 2022, she became the global brand ambassador for Shiseido Makeup and the new face of Mugler’s Angel perfume in 2023.
Schafer made her acting debut in the HBO series Euphoria as Jules, a transgender high school girl and one of the leading roles. For her acting work, she earned a Shorty Award, an MTV Movie & TV Award, and a Dorian Award. Aside from acting on the show, she was a producer and also co-wrote an episode with the show’s creator, Sam Levinson.
In 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first Pride parade, Queerty named Schafer among the 50 heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people”. In 2021, Time listed her on its “100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future” list, with a tribute written by Euphoria co-star Zendaya.
She starred in the 2023 Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and her performance received praise from critics and audiences alike. Schafer is also the protagonist in the horror film Cuckoo (2024). She has also directed two music videos, done voice acting, and continues to advocate for human rights.
In 2021, she tweeted about her sexuality, saying she was “bi or pan or something”.[2] She was known to have dated her Euphoria co-star Dominick Fike from 2022 to 2023 and revealed in a recent GQ interview that she dated Spanish singer Roalía for about five months in 2019. She and Rosalía remain close friends, and Schafer considers her “family no matter what”.