Hunter Schafer may be taking over the young Hollywood scene after her breakout performance in the first two seasons of Euphoria, but things haven’t always been easy for her. The HBO hit was her first role, meaning she didn’t know much about what she needed to do to prepare to play Jules. So, as they were filming the show’s pilot, she actually locked herself in her hotel room.
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes actress had no acting experience when she booked Euphoria, which is still hard to believe now, considering how well she plays Jules. However, at the time, she was a 20-year-old model acting for the first time who had to cry on cue, and she didn't know how. While speaking with W Magazine, Schafer recalled how she knew she had to deliver since she was “number two on the call sheet.” Due to not having any experience, though, she decided to isolate herself because it’s what she thought she had to do:
I locked myself in my hotel room all day because I thought that’s what really serious actors do. I didn’t end up crying in the pilot when I was supposed to, because I didn’t know what I was doing.
While it sounds extreme, I get her thought process. Crying on cue is hard. It sounds like she really wanted to figure out how to do it and was trying to get in the zone. Even though she didn't end up shedding a tear while filming, clearly, it all turned out great, because she's a stand-out on the show.
Now that Hunter Schafer has been doing Euphoria for two seasons (soon-to-be three), and is landing more roles, she’s probably figured out her own process when it comes to getting into character. It also probably helps that some of her Euphoria co-stars have been in the acting game for a while, and she probably got advice from them.
Starting a new role is scary, especially when it’s your first one, but Schafer clearly did something right because she’s been landing projects left and right, including recently nabbing Blade Runner 2099.
As for the third season of Euphoria, Schafer will have a little bit longer to prepare for any crying scenes, as production isn’t set to begin until January 2025. This will mean that the series is getting back to filming nearly three years after Season 2 premiered on HBO in January 2022. Hopefully, the wait won't be long after that for the new episodes. However, Shcafer and her co-stars all have various other projects in the works to keep us occupied and entertained.
Between Euphoria Season 3, Blade Runner 2099 and more, there's a lot to look forward to from Schafer that will show off her incredible talents as an actor. While we wait for those, you can always rewatch the first two seasons of Euphoria with a Max subscription, and try to figure out the scene from Season 1 the actress was talking about.