Is Jules from ‘Euphoria’ transgender?

Euphoria focuses on Zendaya’s character Rue, a troubled teenager and drug addict who’s attempting to find her place in the world while struggling to get sober. Although Rue is the main character, the series provides backstories for all the main cast at the beginning of several episodes. As of 2023, Euphoria is the fourth most-watched series in HBO history, behind Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and House of the Dragon.

In the series, Hunter Schafer’s character Jules Vaughn is the new girl in town, who quickly catches the attention of Rue and Nate (Elordi). Jules is a transgender woman, portrayed in the show as having suffered bouts of depression and anxiety stemming from gender dysphoria. Jules began to transition from male to female at the age of 13, and by age 16, she was experimenting with her sexuality online, dating most cis-gendered straight men.

Since Euphoria began, many have wondered whether Schafer herself identifies strongly with Jules’ character in being transgender herself. Schafer’s performance as Jules marked her acting debut, and she is herself a trans woman. In a Q&A session, Schafer stated that “I do like people to know that I’m not a cis girl because that’s not something that I am or feel like I am. I’m proud to be a trans person.”

As far as her sexuality, Schafer mentioned in 2019 that she would be “closer to what you might call a lesbian.” In December 2021, she stated on Twitter that her sexuality is “bi or pan or something.”

Schafer was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and will be turning 25 this December. It was believed that Schafer preferred she/they pronouns, but as per her Instagram, she appears to use she/her pronouns.