Euphoria: 9 Things To Know About Zendaya And Hunter Schafer’s Friendship

Hunter Schafer and Zendaya are not only co-stars on HBO’s Euphoria but also close friends in real life. Even though their on-screen relationship is filled with twists and turns, their off-screen bond is quite wholesome. From validating each other on social media to surprising fans together, “Rue and Jules” evoke major BFF goals.

Even though the two actors got in touch through Euphoria, their friendship goes far beyond the show now. Apart from promotional events for the drama series, the two have also been spotted together in places such as ice hockey games and award shows. But did fans know about these little details?

9 They Have A Silly Nickname For Each Other

In most of her interviews and media appearances, Schafer seems to refer to Zendaya as simply “Z”. This exclusive nickname tells audiences more about the close friendship that she has cultivated with the Emmy Award-winning actress.

At the same time, Hunter revealed in an interview with i-D that she also has a silly nickname for Zendaya. Apparently, the two actors playfully refer to each other by simply the word “boob.” The friends have not offered any specific reason behind using the word barring the fact that the term is “endearing.”

8 Hunter Has Called Zendaya Her New Best Friend

When the two actors were done filming Euphoria‘s debut season, Schafer did not shy away from calling Zendaya her new best friend. As she told in an interview with The New York Times, “Z was my main scene partner for most of this season and I just feel so lucky to come out of this experience with a new best friend.”

Since then, not much has changed and the two seem to retain their same friendship. Around the same time, Zendaya also mentioned in a video for HBO how she and Hunter have grown “very very close” while filming. This is clearly evident from their on-screen chemistry on the show that finds their relationship going through several highs and lows.

7 Zendaya Facetimed Hunter With A Euphoria Fan

Hunter Schafer’s portrayal of the Euphoria main character Jules has not only drawn critical acclaim but has also become a role model for many trans people. According to Teen Vogue, one fan has even had the opportunity to tell Zendaya how much of an inspiration Schafer’s character has been for her. However, what she hadn’t expected was for Zendaya to actually help her get in touch with the star.

Upon their initial meeting and conversation, Zendaya had quickly facetimed Hunter to set up an interaction between her and the fan. The result was an emotional moment for the teen, who got all teary-eyed with this gesture.

6 They Frequently Appear On Each Other’s Social Media Feeds

Be it for promotional stills in Euphoria Season 2 or just casual candids, both Hunter Schafer and Zendaya end up appearing on each other’s Instagram posts and stories. Even before the debut season premiered in 2019, Zendaya uploaded a photo of her and Schafer getting all excited after seeing a Euphoria poster in California.

Unsurprisingly, both are also known to upload emotional stories and posts on each other’s birthdays, validating each other for their art and persona in general.

5 Zendaya Wanted To Be Hunter’s “Big Sister” Right From The Start

Hunter Schafer’s cover story for Harper’s Bazaar also included Zendaya’s views on her close friend. The latter added that she aimed to be a”big sister” figure to her co-star (who is younger than her by two years).

In Zendaya’s words, “Knowing that she was so young and so much of this was new to her my thing was being as much of a big sister as I could.” She added that a close friendship was important to get comfortable with each other, given the powerful scenes that Euphoria demanded.

4 Hunter Accompanied Zendaya and Tom Holland For An Ice Hockey Game

The Euphoria stars are clearly close with each other even off-camera. The two were recently spotted attending a New York Rangers game while being accompanied by Zendaya’s boyfriend and Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland, as well as his brother Harry Holland.

All four were wearing the same blue jerseys as the paparazzi had a field day. The photos just show that the two actors are going strong as friends even when they’re not shooting for Euphoria.

3 Zendaya Is Hunter’s “Closest Artistic Collaborator”

“Who’s been your closest artistic collaborator?”. This was the question asked to Hunter when she sat down for an interview with musician Arca for V Magazine.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever worked closer with anyone than Zendaya.” Schafer answered with Zendaya’s name, adding that they both embarked on an extensive and very intimate process for Euphoria. She also cited the show’s creator and director Sam Levinson as another close collaborator.

2 A Lot Of Cuddling Was Involved For The Physical Scenes

In an interview with Cosmpolitan, Hunter broke down the process behind preparing for the physically intimate scenes between Rue and Jules in Euphoria. She said that at times, the actors just spent three hours cuddling in bed together playing their respective characters.

According to Schafer, “There are a lot of scenes where Rue and Jules are just in bed talking and holding each other. Shooting that broke down a lot of the physical intimacy barriers.”

1 Shooting Euphoria’s Intense Scenes Build Trust Between The Two

Hunter Schafer got candid in an interview with Collider to touch upon how comfortable Zendaya makes her feel behind the camera. “As a scene partner, she is just so good about, when the camera’s on me, doing whatever she needs to do to help me be where I need to be for the scene”.

The actress added that Zendaya’s demeanor makes it easier for her to reciprocate the energy and give it back to her. “We’re always pushing each other to go deeper.” Schafer said in the same interview.

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa
(725 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

More From Shaurya Thapa