Julia Goldani Telles was born on March 18, 1995, in Los Angeles, California. She is of Brazilian and American descent. At a young age, she moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with her family, where she lived for five years. She became fluent in Portuguese. Upon returning to the United States, she initially focused on ballet, training extensively until an injury curtailed her dance career. She attended Columbia University, studying English and Italian, and graduated in 2017.
Telles transitioned from ballet to acting, securing her first major role as Sasha Torres in the ABC Family (now Freeform) series, Bunheads, which premiered in 2012. The series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, showcased her dance background and acting abilities.
Following Bunheads, Telles appeared in various television series, including recurring roles in The Affair (Showtime) as Whitney Solloway, a significant and complex character, from 2014 to 2019. She also had a recurring role in The Carrie Diaries (The CW) in 2014. She starred in the Amazon Studios series Mozart in the Jungle as Hailey Rutledge’s friend, Alex, appearing in a few episodes.
Telles’s film credits include appearances in Blue Bloods (2014), Nurse Jackie (2015), and The Knick (2015). She played a leading role in the horror film Slender Man (2018). She also appeared in the Netflix series The Politician (2019-2020) as Alice Charles, a prominent character with a significant storyline.