Hunter Schafer is one of the most compelling talents of her generation — an actress, model, artist, and activist who went from walking runways for Dior and Miu Miu to becoming a household name as Jules in HBO’s Euphoria. In 2026, her star is rising faster than ever: Euphoria season 3 finally aired, she is leading the new Blade Runner 2099 series alongside Michelle Yeoh, and she has quietly become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand young leads. Here is everything you need to know about Hunter Schafer — her early life, career, relationships, controversies, and what she’s doing next.
Who Is Hunter Schafer? Early Life and Background
Hunter Schafer is an American actress and model, born on December 31, 1998, which makes her 27 years old as of 2026. She was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and raised primarily in Raleigh, North Carolina, where her father worked as a Presbyterian minister. She grew up alongside three younger siblings in a family that, by her own account, ultimately supported her when she came out.
Schafer knew from an early age that she was different from the boys around her. She came out as transgender in her early teens and began her transition while attending high school in Raleigh. She was a gifted visual artist, and she attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before being accepted into London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins to study fashion design — a path she deferred when modeling and acting took off.
Teenage Activism and the HB2 Bathroom Bill
Before she was famous, Hunter Schafer was an activist. In 2016, when North Carolina passed House Bill 2 — the so-called “bathroom bill” that forced people to use restrooms matching the sex on their birth certificate — Schafer, then a teenager, became one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the law. She spoke publicly about what the bill meant for trans students like herself and wrote about her experiences for national outlets. Her activism earned her a spot on Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21” list in 2017, an early sign that her voice would carry far beyond Raleigh.
How Did Hunter Schafer Start Modeling?
Schafer’s striking look and art-school sensibility caught the fashion industry’s attention while she was still in high school. After signing with Elite Model Management, she quickly became a runway fixture, walking for major houses including Dior, Miu Miu, Rick Owens, Helmut Lang, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, and Versus Versace. She also appeared in campaigns and editorials for top fashion publications, and in 2023 she was named a global brand ambassador for beauty giant Shiseido. Fashion remains a core part of her identity — her red carpet appearances, including her memorable Ann Demeulemeester look at the 2024 Oscars after-party circuit, routinely dominate best-dressed lists.
Hunter Schafer’s Career Highlights and Achievements
Euphoria: Who Does Hunter Schafer Play?
Hunter Schafer plays Jules Vaughn in HBO’s Euphoria, the role that made her a star. Cast with no prior acting experience, she made her screen debut in 2019 opposite Zendaya’s Rue, and critics immediately singled out her raw, luminous performance. Jules — a trans teenager navigating love, identity, and self-destruction — became one of the most talked-about characters on television, and Schafer’s chemistry with Zendaya anchored the show’s emotional core.
Schafer also proved herself behind the camera. She co-wrote the acclaimed 2021 special episode “F*** Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob” with creator Sam Levinson, a bottle episode that dove deep into Jules’s interior life and remains a fan-favorite hour of the series. After a long delay, Euphoria season 3 premiered on HBO on April 12, 2026, and concluded on May 31, 2026, with Schafer returning as Jules in a season that jumped forward in time and pushed the characters into adulthood.
What Movies Has Hunter Schafer Been In?
Hunter Schafer’s film career has grown rapidly since her television debut. Her key movie roles include:
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) — Schafer played Tigris Snow, the compassionate cousin of young Coriolanus Snow, in the blockbuster prequel, introducing her to a massive global audience.
- Cuckoo (2024) — Her first true leading film role. In Tilman Singer’s surreal horror thriller, Schafer played Gretchen, a grieving teenager trapped in an eerie Alpine resort. Critics widely praised her physical, committed performance, with many calling her a born scream queen and genre star.
- Kinds of Kindness (2024) — She appeared in Yorgos Lanthimos’s anthology film alongside Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe, proving she could hold her own in auteur-driven prestige cinema.
- Mother Mary — A24’s pop-melodrama from director David Lowery, in which Schafer stars opposite Anne Hathaway as part of a story about a musician and the designer who shapes her image.
Blade Runner 2099: Hunter Schafer’s Biggest Role Yet
In 2024, Amazon announced that Hunter Schafer would star in Blade Runner 2099, the long-awaited live-action series continuation of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi universe. Schafer plays Cora, a human on the run from Blade Runners, opposite Michelle Yeoh as Olwen, a replicant confronting the end of her lifespan. The first trailer arrived in 2026, and the limited series is set to premiere on Prime Video on November 25, 2026 — positioning Schafer as the face of one of the year’s biggest streaming events.
Awards and Recognition
Hunter Schafer’s recognition so far has centered on critical acclaim and cultural influence rather than a trophy shelf. She was named to Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 in 2017 for her activism, and in 2023 she appeared on the TIME100 Next list of rising leaders shaping the future. Her performance in Cuckoo earned genre-award attention and near-universal praise from critics, while her work on Euphoria has been repeatedly cited among the show’s strongest elements during its Emmy-winning run. In fashion, she has become a front-row mainstay and campaign star for luxury houses, bridging high fashion and Hollywood in a way few young actresses do. Industry watchers widely regard major individual award nominations as a matter of “when,” not “if,” as her leading roles accumulate.
Hunter Schafer Controversies, Explained
Schafer has largely avoided scandal, but a few moments have generated real debate — and she has addressed each one directly.
Why Did Hunter Schafer Say She Doesn’t Want to Be Defined by Being Trans?
In a 2024 GQ profile, Schafer said she had turned down several trans roles after Euphoria and wanted her transness to stop being the headline of her career. “I don’t want it to be the centerpiece,” she explained, adding that visibility alone was not the same as progress. Some fans and commentators felt the remarks distanced her from the community; others — including many trans viewers — defended her right to be seen as an actress first. Schafer later clarified that she is proud of who she is but wants the freedom to play any kind of character, a stance her subsequent casting in cis roles like Gretchen in Cuckoo has borne out.
The 2025 Passport Gender Marker Incident
In February 2025, Schafer revealed in a TikTok video that her newly issued U.S. passport listed her sex as “M” — male — despite her having marked female on the application, and despite having had an “F” marker on her documents since her teens. The change was a consequence of a Trump administration executive order recognizing only sex assigned at birth on federal documents. Schafer, who needed the replacement passport after hers was stolen while filming in Barcelona, said she was shocked but refused to be diminished by it, telling followers she was “never gonna stop being trans” and that a letter on a document could not change who she is. The moment made international headlines and put a famous face on a policy affecting thousands of trans Americans.
Protest Arrest and Political Outspokenness
In February 2024, Schafer was briefly detained along with other demonstrators at a Gaza ceasefire protest organized at NBC’s New York studios. She confirmed the arrest and stood by her participation. Combined with her long history of LGBTQ advocacy, it cemented her reputation as a star willing to accept professional risk for her political convictions — drawing both criticism and admiration.
Who Is Hunter Schafer Dating? Relationships and Personal Life
Hunter Schafer keeps her romantic life mostly private, but two relationships are publicly confirmed. From early 2022 to mid-2023, she dated her Euphoria co-star Dominic Fike, who plays Elliot on the series. Fike spoke openly about the relationship, and the two remained on friendly terms after the split.
In April 2024, Schafer confirmed years of speculation by revealing that she and Spanish superstar Rosalía dated for about five months beginning in fall 2019. She told GQ that Rosalía gave her blessing to share the story, and described the singer as “family no matter what,” saying she treasures the friendship that outlasted the romance. Schafer identifies as part of the LGBTQ community and has described her attraction as not limited by gender. As of mid-2026, she has not publicly confirmed a current partner.
Outside of work, Schafer remains a devoted visual artist — her sketches and illustrations occasionally surface in editorial projects — and she has spoken candidly in interviews about mental health, creative burnout, and finding normalcy amid fame.
Hunter Schafer’s Latest News in 2025 and 2026
The past two years have been the busiest of Schafer’s career. Here are the biggest recent developments:
- Euphoria season 3 aired. After a four-year wait, the third season premiered April 12, 2026, and wrapped May 31, 2026, on HBO, with Schafer reprising Jules in a time-jumped storyline.
- Blade Runner 2099 arrives November 25, 2026. The first trailer, featuring Schafer as Cora opposite Michelle Yeoh, debuted in 2026 ahead of the Prime Video premiere — her biggest leading role to date.
- Cry to Heaven with Tom Ford. Schafer joined the director’s starry period drama, an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel set in the world of 18th-century Italian opera, continuing her run of prestige projects.
- Mother Mary on the horizon. The A24 film with Anne Hathaway keeps her positioned at the center of the studio’s slate.
- Passport advocacy. Following the 2025 gender-marker incident, Schafer has continued to speak about documentation policy and trans rights, using her platform without letting it define her career.
Hunter Schafer FAQ: People Also Ask
How old is Hunter Schafer?
Hunter Schafer is 27 years old. She was born on December 31, 1998, in Trenton, New Jersey, and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Is Hunter Schafer trans?
Yes. Hunter Schafer is a transgender woman who came out and transitioned as a teenager. She was a plaintiff against North Carolina’s HB2 “bathroom bill” in 2016, though she has said she does not want her career to be defined by her trans identity.
Who does Hunter Schafer play in Euphoria?
She plays Jules Vaughn, a trans teenager and Rue’s close friend and love interest, across all three seasons of the HBO drama. She also co-wrote the 2021 special episode focused on Jules.
Who is Hunter Schafer dating?
As of mid-2026, Schafer has not confirmed a current partner. She previously dated Euphoria co-star Dominic Fike (2022–2023) and, as she confirmed in 2024, singer Rosalía for about five months in 2019.
What is Hunter Schafer’s net worth?
Estimates from celebrity wealth outlets place Hunter Schafer’s net worth at roughly $4–5 million, built from her HBO salary, film roles, and modeling and brand ambassador deals. She has not confirmed a figure herself.
What is Hunter Schafer’s next project?
Her biggest upcoming release is Blade Runner 2099, premiering on Prime Video on November 25, 2026, in which she stars as Cora alongside Michelle Yeoh. Tom Ford’s Cry to Heaven and A24’s Mother Mary are also ahead.
Conclusion
Hunter Schafer’s story is still in its opening chapters, and that is what makes it remarkable. In under a decade she has gone from a teenage activist in Raleigh to a runway star, a defining television performer, and a genuine leading lady in film and prestige streaming. With Euphoria season 3 behind her and Blade Runner 2099 ahead, 2026 may be remembered as the year Hunter Schafer stopped being a breakout and became a fixture — an artist whose identity informs her work but whose talent speaks entirely for itself.