Hunter Schafer Raises “Euphoria” to New Heights

Pushing the industry in new directions

Home Box Office’s (HBO) “Euphoria” caught its audience’s attention from its very first episode, sparking a consistent stream of praise and criticism over its graphic subject matter and enticing visuals. But the show’s commitment to cast a light on the serious issues young people endure, indicates a welcome change to stories written about teenagers.

Marked by clear, intense dialogue and grand visuals, each episode of “Euphoria” helps compose the highly stylized world created by writer, executive producer and director Sam Levinson. The show’s vibrant makeup and curated costumes define the show’s ingenuity and prove its goal to create safe environments for young people to express themselves through their appearance.

Apart from “Euphoria’s” creative influence, the show is most well known for introducing its young cast of actors to mainstream television. 

Zendaya, the series lead, is no stranger to the industry as her career began on Disney channel in the early 2000s. Zendaya’s performance of protagonist Rue Bennett secured her an Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama, giving the show even more recognition for its high quality. 

But the troupe of budding talent includes far more actors who are brand new to the world of professional acting. One of whom is Hunter Schafer, a 22-year-old model and visual artist, whose debut on “Euphoria” gave her a platform to share her personality and obvious creative talent. 

Schafer plays Jules Vaughn, the new kid in town–a transgender girl whose joyful disposition and original style attracts attention from people all over town.

Rue and Jules meet on the heels of Rue’s summer in rehab, where she attempted to overcome her prescription drug addiction. Over the course of the show, the two become closer friends and eventually ease into a romantic relationship, but Rue’s habitual drug abuse leads her to an unhealthy dependency on Jules. 

In the final scene of season one, Jules leaves Rue behind and runs away to the city, her inability to express her true feelings forcing physical distance between the two. 

Season one is predominantly narrated by Rue, so audiences meet and fall in love with Jules as she does. 

But the show’s most recent episode plays the events of season one through Jules’ perspective, and audiences are not only clued into her feelings about Rue, but the episode focuses on her struggles with gender and sexuality.

In her episode, Jules raises concern over taking hormones and tells her therapist that she wants to wean off of them.

The resulting conversation between the two analyzes Jules’ understanding of gender, and they attempt to unpack her views on femininity, which she claims has often been elusive and distant.

Schafer’s performance as Jules represents a welcome change for the industry to tell stories about transgender people by transgender people.

Schafer even had a hand at writing her feature episode alongside Levinson, and her insight was key in communicating the nuances tied to transgender identity with care and clarity.

The show’s honesty is easily its most controversial characteristic, and is arguably what made the series popular in the first place. 

“Euphoria” offers each character the chance to explore different sides of their personality, sexuality and gender expression, positioning it as a leader in television made for teenagers. The honesty surrounding these experiences feels genuine and clearly distances itself from other teenage dramas who glorify mental illness and sexual violence.

As a transgender character, Jules represents a community of young people who are often left out of the main storyline.

For an audience of millions, “Euphoria” makes Jules’ and Hunter’s stories about transgender identity and pride readily accessible, opening doors for fully representative stories about Gen Z.