In a lot of ways, the cool thing about modeling is that other people and artists I look up to are able to project their artistic visions onto me, and it was really exciting to be a muse in that way and carry out a vision.
— Hunter Schafer
I know, for myself, I have a very distinct style, and I know what I like, and I know what I don't like. But it has been a process of learning how to cater to the different events that happen with Hollywood and how you might want to dress for red carpet and what things photograph well.
What I'm trying to do in all senses is deconstruct our idea of gender and use the privileges that come with looking like a model to bring attention to that.
My plan was to model and pay the rent and then intern with designers and work on the other side of the industry however I could, but then it just got to be too much, especially with casting, fashion week, and also working for a fashion designer.
No matter what I've worked on or what art practices I've delved into, they've always been an attempt to world-build.
When I think of an activist, I think of a community organizer who is working every day and directly with community members and making it a job to take care of and speak up for a community in some way.
I would say runway is easier because your job is to look good or play a character that is just going somewhere. It's rather physical, whereas acting is terrifying because you're dealing with your subconscious, and those can be murky waters. But I definitely can say that I enjoy acting more as an artist.
I went to an arts high school and was surrounded by drama students who dreamed of working in the industry. I almost feel a sense of guilt, because I didn't go to acting school.
More than anything, I just want people to, like, let themselves be taken on the ride that 'Euphoria' will be over eight episodes and just, like, let it, like, hit them.
I almost went to Central Saint Martins for fashion design. I deferred for a year when I graduated high school so that I could go model and make some money and immerse myself in the fashion industry for a year.
We are on the forefront of a revolution in which identity and expression will take priority over the labels assigned to us at birth; in which self-identification will take priority over perception; in which gender will fall away entirely.
I'm fascinated with acting now. In retrospect, I was only beginning to chip off the tip of the iceberg with how far I can go or what I was exploring inside of me that I hadn't touched in a while as far as emotional headspaces.
Walking runway has been something I didn't even think would be a possibility in my lifetime with my circumstances and my origins.
I feel less pressure to dress for the eyes of other people now. I think that happened once I started modelling, near the end of high school.
When I was living in New York, I tried to make it work for a year, but I didn't really have my own space to be creative. It was really inspiring, but I think that coming to L.A. has allowed me to take a breath.
I feel so lucky to have 'Euphoria' as a first experience with taking on a character and exploring acting and in having this group of people as well.
I don't think 'Euphoria' can capture the entirety of the teen-in-high-school experience, but I think it is realistic. It's scary in that sense because I don't think we get to see a lot of depictions of high school this raw. I think that truth might scare people.
In the entertainment world, you can have more of a personality and be yourself. You don't have to look like a standard of beauty. You can have something provocative to say.
I had been interested in trying acting, and, like, I went to school with actors and whatnot, and I was interested in the craft but didn't really push myself to do it.
I'm interested in everything. If I had enough time on this earth, I'd like to learn every art practice.
I don't really go out in L.A., but when I have, I usually keep it pretty dressed down. I've gone clubbing in an oversized t-shirt and my Dr. Martens and little tiny shorts, and that's felt good for the night.
Modeling for a year taught me a lot. I got very involved in the fashion industry and met a bunch of people who I admired.
That year of modeling, I grew up a lot - I was alone in New York and just grinding and making it work, and I feel it kind of prepared me for the responsibilities of being an actor alone in L.A. and taking care of yourself.
I'm starting to develop my practice, learning how to come home after a really long day of shooting and letting myself breathe. I'm drawing and painting and listening to my music and keeping those things separate.
There might have been a point in my career where, because people have been telling me I'm an activist, I took on that label. But in retrospect, I don't think that's what I am - or what I've been - just because I'm vocal about my identity sometimes.
I had never really acted before, so I really didn't know what I was doing. The casting director for 'Euphoria' set me up with an acting coach in New York, and he completely flipped my world around. The way you learn to utilize your brain and your emotions really freaked me out.
Since it's no longer my singular source of income, I've withdrawn from fashion spaces a bit. However, I still have a deep love for fashion and want to continue to work with designers and houses that inspire me - like Rick Owens, whose show I would no doubt walk in again if the opportunity arose.
I do find myself missing the energy of New York more and more often as my time away from the city progresses.
Ever since I can remember, I drew, and visual arts have been my main way to express myself. I like dancing, although I've never done that very seriously. It's something I'd like to explore more.
It's cool how to see how my creative juices have shown themselves when they're not being used for 'Euphoria' every day. I'm trying to find a new rhythm as to how I'm going to externalize my artistic energies. It's a moment of re-formation.
