As one of the most prominent transgender actors in Hollywood, Hunter Schafer has been intentional about steering conversations away from centering solely on her gender identity.
In a new cover story for GQ, the Euphoria star opened up about her calculated efforts to prevent being pigeonholed or defined exclusively as a “trans actress.”
“It has not just happened naturally by any means. If I let it happen, it would still be giving ‘Transsexual Actress’ before every article ever,” Schafer explained. “As soon as I say it, it gets blastoff.”
The 25-year-old breakout knows she occupies a rarified space as an acclaimed trans performer. However, she’s wary of allowing that to overshadow her talents and ambitions as an actress.
“It 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,” Schafer said of putting too much emphasis on her transgender identity.
After years of addressing deeply personal transition experiences, the Emmy nominee is ready to simply be seen as the actor and creative force she is.
“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 told the magazine.
Hunter Schafer recognizes it’s “a privilege” to control the narrative around her gender identity at this stage of her blossoming career. She has turned down numerous transgender roles to avoid being typecast.
“I know for a fact that I’m one of the most famous trans people in media right now, and I do feel a sense of responsibility, and maybe a little bit of guilt, for not being more of a spokesperson,” she admitted. “But ultimately, I really do believe that not making it the centerpiece to what I’m doing will allow me to get further.”
The actress hopes to advance LGBTQ representation more meaningfully by achieving greater success and prominence in diverse roles – starting with her first film lead in the upcoming horror movie Cuckoo.
For Hunter Schafer, shifting focus from her identity to her artistry is ultimately “in the interest of ‘the movement'” toward fuller acceptance and equality for the trans community.