Hunter Schafer became one of television’s most recognisable faces as Jules in HBO’s Euphoria — a role she landed with no professional acting experience, straight from a modelling career and a childhood spent pursuing art. The New Jersey-born actress, model, and activist has built an estimated $6–8 million net worth by 2026, combining her Euphoria acting fees, a $2 million annual Dior deal, and partnerships with Prada, Miu Miu, Coach, and Calvin Klein. She is also one of the most prominent transgender public figures in entertainment.

Full NameHunter Schafer
Date of BirthDecember 31, 1998
Age27 years old (2026)
BirthplaceTrenton, New Jersey, USA
NationalityAmerican
Height5’11” (180 cm)
ProfessionActress, Model, Artist, Activist
Net Worth$6 Million (2026)
PartnerNot publicly confirmed (2026)
Known ForJules in Euphoria, Dior ambassador, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Hunter Schafer ELLE UK Euphoria
Hunter Schafer for ELLE UK — discussing the role of Jules that turned her from model to global television star.

Early Life & Background

Hunter Schafer was born on December 31, 1998, in Trenton, New Jersey. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, the eldest child of a Presbyterian minister and a nurse. She attended a performing arts magnet school, where she discovered a passion for visual art and fashion illustration. Schafer is a transgender woman; she made her gender transition as a freshman in high school after being diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The experience shaped not only her personal identity but her public advocacy — she became involved in LGBTQ+ activism at a young age and testified before the North Carolina legislature against bathroom bills.

She studied at the Pratt Institute in New York before being approached by modelling agencies. Her modelling career accelerated rapidly and she walked runway shows for Prada and shot campaigns for Calvin Klein, Dior, and Miu Miu before her 21st birthday. It was her fashion world profile that brought her to the attention of Euphoria’s casting team.

Hunter Schafer MTV Euphoria Zendaya
Hunter Schafer discusses Euphoria and her relationship with Zendaya for MTV News — a creative partnership central to the show.

Career

Euphoria (2019–2026)

Euphoria was Schafer’s professional acting debut — a fact that makes her performance as Jules Vaughn all the more remarkable. Cast by creator Sam Levinson on the strength of her visual art portfolio and her fashion profile, she arrived on set with no formal training. Jules became one of the most discussed characters in recent American television: a transgender teenager whose relationship with Rue (Zendaya) formed the emotional core of the series, and whose visual presentation — co-designed by Schafer herself — was cited by industry observers as among the most distinctive character aesthetics in prestige television. The show ran for three seasons, with the third airing in 2026.

Film Career

Schafer’s film work has extended well beyond Euphoria. Her most commercially significant role to date is Tigris in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), the prequel film that grossed $337 million globally — a role that introduced her to a franchise audience orders of magnitude larger than Euphoria’s. She has also appeared in Cuckoo (2024), a German horror-thriller directed by Tilman Singer that received positive critical notices at international film festivals.

Hunter Schafer interview comics Zendaya
Hunter Schafer discussing her art practice and visiting the Spider-Man set with Zendaya — a friendship that began on the Euphoria set.

Net Worth & Income Sources

Income SourceEstimated AmountTypeNotes
Dior Ambassadorship~$2M/yearAnnual (personal)Multi-year pact estimated at $2M annually; Dior’s flagship beauty and fashion partnership
Euphoria Acting Fees$300K–$700K/seasonOne-time (personal)Per-season fee for 3 seasons; rising with each renewal
Prada, Miu Miu, Calvin Klein$500K–$1.5M/yearAnnual (personal)Multiple luxury brand campaigns and runway contracts
Film Roles$200K–$800K per filmOne-time (personal)Hunger Games prequel and indie film work; fees rising
Estimated Total Net Worth$6 Million (2026)

Personal Life & Activism

Schafer is one of the most publicly visible transgender advocates in entertainment. She testified before the North Carolina legislature as a teenager and has continued to speak about transgender rights, healthcare, and representation throughout her career. In 2025 she spoke publicly about difficulties updating her passport gender marker under new federal policies — an event that drew significant media coverage and reinforced her profile as an activist as well as an entertainer. She has not publicly confirmed a romantic relationship as of 2026.

Hunter Schafer trans representation media
Hunter Schafer on transgender representation in media — an advocacy dimension that extends well beyond her acting career.

Awards & Recognition

Schafer has received multiple nominations for her work in Euphoria, including recognition from the Critics Circle Television Awards and various LGBTQ+ media organisations. She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Entertainment list and has been a recurring presence on international best-dressed lists. Her Dior partnership has been cited by industry observers as one of the most significant beauty ambassador deals for a transgender woman in the luxury sector.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Hunter Schafer

  • Euphoria was her first professional acting credit — she arrived on set with no formal drama training, having been a model and visual artist before being cast as Jules.
  • She co-designed Jules’s visual aesthetic in Euphoria, including the costumes and makeup — a creative contribution that went significantly beyond typical actor input.
  • She testified before the North Carolina state legislature as a teenager against bathroom bills affecting transgender people — activism that preceded her entertainment career.
  • Her Dior ambassadorship is reportedly worth $2 million per year — a figure that makes it her largest single income source, exceeding her Euphoria acting fees.
  • She is a trained illustrator whose comic-book drawings were used as Jules’s artwork in Euphoria — an integration of her real creative practice into her character’s story.

Hunter Schafer FAQ

What is Hunter Schafer’s net worth in 2026?

Hunter Schafer’s net worth is estimated at $6 million as of 2026, built primarily on her Euphoria acting fees, a $2 million per year Dior ambassadorship, and campaigns with Prada, Miu Miu, Calvin Klein, and Coach. Her net worth has grown more than 500% since Euphoria began, and her Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes role has significantly raised her commercial profile.

Is Hunter Schafer transgender?

Yes. Hunter Schafer is a transgender woman. She transitioned as a freshman in high school after being diagnosed with gender dysphoria and has been open about her experience throughout her career. She is one of the most prominent transgender public figures in the entertainment industry and has been an active advocate for transgender rights since her teenage years.

What is Hunter Schafer’s role in Euphoria?

Hunter Schafer plays Jules Vaughn in Euphoria, a transgender teenager whose complex friendship and romantic relationship with Rue (Zendaya) forms the emotional core of the series. She co-designed Jules’s distinctive visual aesthetic and co-wrote the character’s special episode. Euphoria’s third season aired in 2026, continuing Jules’s story arc.

What brands sponsor Hunter Schafer?

Hunter Schafer’s most significant brand relationship is with Dior, where she has a multi-year ambassadorship worth an estimated $2 million per year. She has also worked extensively with Prada, Miu Miu, Calvin Klein, and Coach — some of the most prestigious fashion brands in the world. Her modelling career predates her acting career and remains an important part of her professional identity.

Was Hunter Schafer in The Hunger Games?

Yes. Hunter Schafer played Tigris in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), the prequel film exploring President Snow’s early life. The film grossed $337 million globally and introduced Schafer to a commercial film audience substantially larger than Euphoria’s television viewership. It remains her most commercially successful film role to date.

Net Worth Over Time

Schafer’s net worth was virtually zero before Euphoria began in 2019 — she was a working model earning modest income from runway and campaign work. The first season of Euphoria brought a television fee estimated in the low six figures and, more importantly, the kind of industry attention that accelerated her fashion brand relationships. By 2021, with the second season confirmed and her profile at its peak, her Dior deal was signed — a commercial arrangement that fundamentally changed her annual income structure. Her participation in The Hunger Games prequel in 2023 added a significant one-time film fee and expanded her commercial appeal to franchise audiences. By 2025, with Euphoria Season 3 confirmed and her advocacy profile generating ongoing media coverage, her net worth had reached its current estimate of $6 million — a figure built almost equally on fashion and entertainment income. The net worth multiple from her pre-fame baseline is one of the highest of any actress of her generation.

What did Hunter Schafer do before Euphoria?

Before Euphoria, Hunter Schafer was a fashion model who had walked the runway for Prada and shot campaigns for Dior, Miu Miu, Calvin Klein, and Coach. She was also an art student and illustrator who had attended Pratt Institute. She was approached by Euphoria’s casting team because of her modelling profile, and the role was her first professional acting credit. She had no formal drama training before being cast as Jules Vaughn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd8o8ZXfALA

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