Hunter Schafer delivered one of the most gripping performances [1] in the first season of HBO's Euphoria [2]. The 21-year-old star stepped into the role of transgender teen Jules, who attends a new high school and befriends recovering addict Rue (Zendaya [3]). We could easily write an entire thesis about the drama with a whole section dedicated to Schafer's portrayal, or we could just refer you to her recent interview with V magazine [4] about the series. We'll do the latter.
Speaking to queer music artist Arca [5], the actor revealed how her personal experience with transitioning and embracing her transgender identity influenced her character. She also gushed over her friendship with Zendaya [6] and shared some of her hopes for Jules when the series returns for a second chapter [7] sometime this year. Scroll ahead to read some of her standout quotes from V magazine's feature!
![On working with the Euphoria cast and crew: "I don't know if I've ever worked closer with anyone than Zendaya on Euphoria. It was such an extensive process, and a very intimate one. And also Sam Levinson, [the creator], who helped me get to those places I hadn't been since I was a teenager."
On her transition experience, which inspired her Euphoria character: "It didn't feel natural at first. Part of surviving was just getting through sh*t, letting it rest, and not addressing it. I think that's what I had been [doing] up to that point: just going and going, fighting to be on the other side of my transition. There was so much that I was working toward, and I was so excited to [be out of] North Carolina that I don't think I'd ever looked back on [that experience]."](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/ZHEMaNFKHg6ZOhFKtEY-UhpNnvY/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2020/02/20/724/n/1922398/d8efd17ead74e1c6_V124_-_Image_1/i/On-working-with-Euphoria-cast-crew-I-dont-know-if-Ive.jpg "On working with the Euphoria cast and crew: \"I don't know if I've ever worked closer with anyone than Zendaya on Euphoria. It was such an extensive process, and a very intimate one. And also Sam Levinson, [the creator], who helped me get to those places I hadn't been since I was a teenager.\"
On her transition experience, which inspired her Euphoria character: \"It didn't feel natural at first. Part of surviving was just getting through sh*t, letting it rest, and not addressing it. I think that's what I had been [doing] up to that point: just going and going, fighting to be on the other side of my transition. There was so much that I was working toward, and I was so excited to [be out of] North Carolina that I don't think I'd ever looked back on [that experience].\"")
- On working with the Euphoria [9] cast and crew: "I don't know if I've ever worked closer with anyone than Zendaya [10] on Euphoria. It was such an extensive process, and a very intimate one. And also Sam Levinson, [the creator], who helped me get to those places I hadn't been since I was a teenager."
- On her transition experience, which inspired her Euphoria character: "It didn't feel natural at first. Part of surviving was just getting through sh*t, letting it rest, and not addressing it. I think that's what I had been [doing] up to that point: just going and going, fighting to be on the other side of my transition. There was so much that I was working toward, and I was so excited to [be out of] North Carolina that I don't think I'd ever looked back on [that experience]."
![On her hopes for Jules in Euphoria season two: "I know she has dreams, [many of] which she stated in the first episode. Which is just what I did in a way: escaping to New York and working or interning in fashion . . . And that was [part of the character] before I was even cast, so it was really freaky to see that written into the script. So, I feel like that's definitely her path."
On the evolution of her career in the arts: "My original plan was to model in order to support my visual art. At that point, I thought, 'I wish I could be making money off of [my art] because it's all I want to do.' But then I got swept up in [acting], which is wild. I went to an arts high school and was always focused on visual arts; [performing] was this exciting and tantalizing activity. Now it's the opposite; I am monetizing performing."](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/f301PJwEErsuDu1HTZM1MipHvBY/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2020/02/20/724/n/1922398/5ea02eb57770ae39_V124_-_Image_2/i/On-her-hopes-for-Jules-in-Euphoria-season-two-I-know-she-has.jpg "On her hopes for Jules in Euphoria season two: \"I know she has dreams, [many of] which she stated in the first episode. Which is just what I did in a way: escaping to New York and working or interning in fashion . . . And that was [part of the character] before I was even cast, so it was really freaky to see that written into the script. So, I feel like that's definitely her path.\"
On the evolution of her career in the arts: \"My original plan was to model in order to support my visual art. At that point, I thought, 'I wish I could be making money off of [my art] because it's all I want to do.' But then I got swept up in [acting], which is wild. I went to an arts high school and was always focused on visual arts; [performing] was this exciting and tantalizing activity. Now it's the opposite; I am monetizing performing.\"")
- On her hopes for Jules in Euphoria [11] season two: "I know she has dreams, [many of] which she stated in the first episode. Which is just what I did in a way: escaping to New York and working or interning in fashion . . . And that was [part of the character] before I was even cast, so it was really freaky to see that written into the script. So, I feel like that's definitely her path."
- On the evolution of her career in the arts: "My original plan was to model in order to support my visual art. At that point, I thought, 'I wish I could be making money off of [my art] because it's all I want to do.' But then I got swept up in [acting], which is wild. I went to an arts high school and was always focused on visual arts; [performing] was this exciting and tantalizing activity. Now it's the opposite; I am monetizing performing."