1. Overview
Julia Goldani Telles is a Brazilian-American actress and ballet dancer. Born in Los Angeles, California, she is widely recognized for her notable television roles, including Sasha Torres in the ABC Family series Bunheads (2012-2013), Whitney Solloway in the Showtime original series The Affair (2014-2019), and Iris in the third season of The Girlfriend Experience (2021). She has also appeared in several feature films, such as Slender Man and The Wind.
2. Early Life and Background
Goldani Telles was born on March 18, 1995, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother is Brazilian, and her father is Mexican. When she was almost two years old, her family relocated to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was there, at the age of five, that she was first introduced to ballet. Later that same year, her family moved back to Los Angeles. Having spoken only PortuguêsPortuguesePortuguese until then, Goldani Telles learned English after their return to the United States. At the age of 13, she moved to New York City.
2.1. Ballet Training and Transition to Acting
Goldani Telles began her formal ballet training at a young age, attending prestigious institutions such as the School of American Ballet and Ballet Academy East. During her time as a dancer, she performed in numerous major ballet productions, including Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Swan Lake.
At the age of 15, Goldani Telles faced a significant challenge in her ballet career when she developed tendinitis and labral tears in her hips. This injury forced her to take a year-long break from ballet. To cope with the emotional impact of this setback and avoid depression, she decided to explore new interests and enrolled in a drama course. This pivotal decision marked her transition from a dedicated ballet dancer to an aspiring actress.
3. Acting Career
Julia Goldani Telles embarked on her professional acting career following a significant period of ballet training. She later pursued academic studies at Columbia University.
3.1. Television Roles
Goldani Telles made her television debut in 2011 when she successfully auditioned for the role of Sasha Torres in the ABC Family series Bunheads. Notably, she secured this part without prior acting experience, headshots, or a professional résumé. Her agent believed that Bunheads was an ideal first audition for her due to its incorporation of dancing, an area where she was already proficient. The pilot episode of the series was filmed in November 2011, and Bunheads subsequently aired for eighteen episodes from June 11, 2012, to February 25, 2013.
Beyond her breakthrough role, Goldani Telles appeared in the Nat & Alex Wolff music video for the song "Greatest Prize" in early 2012. She also made guest appearances on several other television shows. In 2014, she guest-starred as Morgan in the "The Bogeyman" episode of Blue Bloods, and appeared as Mandy for three episodes in Nurse Jackie. She also played Amelia Strong in the "Hungry Like the Wolf" episode of The Carrie Diaries.
From 2014 to 2019, Goldani Telles held a main role as Whitney Solloway in the Showtime drama series The Affair. In 2016, she appeared as Sandee Martin in the "Spring" episode of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. In May 2021, she took on another main role as Iris in the third season of the Starz anthology series The Girlfriend Experience. More recently, in 2023, she played Alice Baylor in the "Samir's Story" episode of Accused and Kelsey in a guest role during season 24, episode 3 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
3.2. Film Roles
Goldani Telles has also established a career in feature films. In 2018, she appeared as Tami in the film Most Likely to Murder. That same year, she played Hallie in the supernatural horror film Slender Man and Emma Harper in the Western horror film The Wind. Her filmography continued with the role of Alex in Looks That Kill in 2020 and Julia Adams in The Space Between in 2021.
4. Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-2013 | Bunheads | Sasha Torres | Main role |
| 2014 | Blue Bloods | Morgan | Episode: "The Bogeyman" |
| 2014 | The Carrie Diaries | Amelia Strong | Episode: "Hungry Like the Wolf" |
| 2014 | Nurse Jackie | Mandy | 3 episodes |
| 2014-2019 | The Affair | Whitney Solloway | Main role |
| 2016 | Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life | Sandee Martin | Episode: "Spring" |
| 2018 | Most Likely to Murder | Tami | Film |
| 2018 | Slender Man | Hallie | Film |
| 2018 | The Wind | Emma Harper | Film |
| 2020 | Looks That Kill | Alex | Film |
| 2020 | Helpsters | Ballerina Betsy | Episode: "Ballerina Betsy/Pizza Pasquale" |
| 2021 | The Space Between | Julia Adams | Film |
| 2021 | The Girlfriend Experience | Iris | Main role (season 3) |
| 2023 | Accused (US version) | Alice Baylor | Episode: "Samir's Story" |
| 2023 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Kelsey | Guest role (s24 e3) |