Born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1999, Hunter Schafer graduated from the University of NC School of the Arts and became known in the state for her role, along with her father Mac, in challenging a state House bill requiring people to use public bathrooms that matched the gender on their birth certificates, in 2016. She started her career as a fashion model in New York City for companies such as Marc Jacobs and Dior. In 2017 she was cited by Teen Vogue as one of 21 girls younger than 21 who were changing the world. Her TV series role on the show Euphoria came after a casting call on the Instagram social media platform.