Hunter Schafer has explained why she no longer wants to do the trans roles she is constantly being offered.
The star, best known for her break-out role in HBO’s Euphoria, has recently been praised after revealing why she wants to stop exclusively playing transgender roles.
In a new interview with GQ, the 25-year-old opened up about being stuck in one type of role for her entire career due to her gender identity – a narrative that is also focused on by the media.
Hunter Schafer says she’s done exclusively playing trans roles. Credit: Arnold Jerocki/Getty
“As soon as I say it [being transgender], it gets blastoff,” Schafer told the outlet. “It took a while to learn that and it also took a while to learn that I don’t want to be [reduced to] that, and I find it ultimately demeaning to me and what I want to do. Especially after high school, I was sick of talking about it.”
“I’ve gotten offered tons of trans roles, and I just don’t want to do it. I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.
Schafer then stated that she had worked so hard to get to where she was, but she is over being defined by just her gender.
“I worked so hard to get to where I am, past these really hard points in my transition, and now I just want to be a girl and finally move on,” she added.
In Euphoria, Schafer portrays a character called Jules Vaughn who is a transgender teenager navigating the complexities of adolescence, gender identity, and relationships in a small town.
Jules’ character arc resonated particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, as it provided a more authentic representation of trans identity as well as shed light on the experiences of transgender individuals as a whole.
Maude Apatow, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and Zendaya all star in HBO’s ‘Euphoria.’ Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/HBO/Getty
Schafer’s portrayal of Jules has received widespread praise for its sensitivity and depth, setting herself up well for upcoming roles in her career including in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and in Tilman Singer’s newest horror movie titled Cuckoo.
Elsewhere in the interview, the actress revealed that she does not feel guilty for not being a direct “spokesperson” for the LGBTQ+ community.
“I really do believe that not making [being trans] the centerpiece to what I’m doing will allow me to get further. And I think getting further and doing awesome s***, in the interest of ‘the movement,’ will be way more helpful than talking about it all the time,” Schafer told GQ.
Hunter Schafer at “The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes” New York Screening. Credit: John Nacion/Variety/Getty