IN CONVERSATION WITH JULIA DALAVIA

interview by LEANDRO DA SILVA

Brazilian actress Julia Dalavia has spent most of her life in front of the camera, building a career marked by versatility, emotional depth and a remarkable instinct for complex storytelling. From acclaimed telenovelas to streaming series, cinema and literary adaptations, she has consistently gravitated towards characters shaped by resilience, vulnerability and transformation. As her body of work continues to evolve, Dalavia reflects on growing up in the industry, the enduring legacy of Brazilian telenovelas, and the evolving craft of acting.

Julia:
coat DRIES VAN NOTEN
top MAJESTIC
trousers FRANKIE SHOP
shoes VEJA

Having worked since such a young age, how did you learn to navigate an industry that can be demanding even for adults?

That's a question I often ask myself. It's something I've reflected on a lot over the years. I think my mother, who was responsible for accompanying me throughout that journey, was the person who stayed closest to me. She was always very wise about how much to filter, how much exposure to allow, and how much responsibility should actually reach me. Even so, when I look back on my story today, I find myself reflecting on both the positive and the difficult aspects of it.

I think there's something about the combination of childhood and work that isn't entirely compatible. Taking on that level of responsibility at such a young age changes a person. It's something I explore a lot in therapy. I wouldn't change anything, but there are definitely questions and experiences that still stay with me.

Julia:
full look PATRICK CHURCH

Gabriel:
full look ÉTUDES STUDIO

Growing up in the public eye, how has that shaped you both personally and professionally?

Speaking specifically about my adolescence and my early years as a young adult, I struggled at times with other people's opinions about me and my work, and with the difference between how others saw me and how I saw myself. As a teenager, it wasn't easy to stop certain comments or judgments from affecting me. But I think it's an ongoing process, and it always will be, of reconnecting with my own essence.

As I grew older, I became a more reserved and guarded person. In some ways, that's necessary. I try to do the opposite: I try to reconnect with playfulness, to allow myself to make mistakes, and not to take myself so seriously. I try to reconnect with who I truly feel I am and who I want to become. Those things are incredibly precious—not just for me, but for everyone. We have to protect that part of ourselves.

Julia:
full look GUCCI
sunglasses ON AURA TOUT VU

Gabriel:
full look GUCCI
shoes VEJA

Brazilian telenovelas have long been one of the country's most influential cultural exports. Having built an important part of your career within that tradition, what do you think they can still offer today that no other format can?

I think telenovelas have an extraordinary reach. They connect with people on a scale that no other format can match in Brazil, and they've become a defining part of our national identity. They also preserve our collective memory. They capture moments we've lived through as a country and create a shared cultural experience. We all recognize the references, the jokes, the iconic scenes. Even now, with remakes like Vale Tudo, we're revisiting stories from different eras that still spark conversations because the themes remain relevant.

That's why I think telenovelas are extraordinary. Being able to reach so many people through my work and contribute to those conversations is something very special. Telenovelas shine a light on social issues and often encourage society to confront subjects that need to be discussed at a particular moment. I'm a great enthusiast of the format. I truly love it.

Julia:
dress LITKOVSKA
Gabriel:
top and trousers AGNÈS B.

You've brought to life characters from both contemporary novels and literary classics. Does stepping into a story that already has devoted readers change the way you approach a role?

It definitely does, especially when you're a devoted reader of the work yourself. I'll use Pride and Prejudice, which I recently recorded for Audible, as an example. I've loved that story since I was a teenager. I watched different film adaptations before eventually reading the novel, so of course that changes the way I approach it.

The same happened with Dias Perfeitos. It was based on a book that already had a very passionate fan base. In those cases, a project already comes with many different expectations. I find that really interesting. I like understanding what fans love, what resonates with them, and what draws them to the story.

Since I'm also a fan, I naturally become curious about what I can take from that and bring into my performance. Combined with my own interpretation of the work and what I have to contribute as an actress, I think it becomes a very rewarding creative process.

dress MAISON MOGHARAB
boots SAINT LAURENT

Acting often asks you to inhabit lives very different from your own. Has there ever been a character who changed the way you saw yourself once the cameras stopped rolling?

I think every character changes me in some way. They all affect my emotional structure. To be truly available to tell a story, I have to let it pass through me. And if I allow that to happen, it inevitably transforms me as well. It's not something I notice overnight. I've never had a sudden moment where I thought, "I'm completely different now." But by the end of every project, I always feel as though I've gained a greater emotional elasticity. It's almost as if I've lived much more than just my own life.

I look back at the person I was when I started a project and compare her with the person I am when it ends. Acting demands an emotional openness that isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts. But that emotional commitment encourages you to look inward, and whenever you truly look at yourself, you change. So in that sense, I always feel different once the cameras stop rolling.

Julia:
coat DRIES VAN NOTEN
top MAJESTIC
trousers FRANKIE SHOP
shoes VEJA

Gabriel:
sunglasses ANN DEMEULEMEESTER
jacket, belt, denim ZADIG & VOLTAIRE
t-shirt MAJESTIC
shoes AGNÈS B.

When choosing new projects, what matters most to you: the character, the script, or the creative team?

That's a great question because I actually changed my mind while thinking about it. At first, I thought my answer would be the script. After all, wanting to tell a particular story—one you connect with and believe in—is always exciting.

But after reflecting on it, I realized it's actually the people. People are always the most important part of the process. Even the script exists because someone wrote it. It's already the result of someone's creative vision.

When I work with people I trust, I know that whatever we're making together depends much more on those people than on the material itself. A script that may not seem particularly remarkable can become something extraordinary if it's in the hands of talented people who inspire one another and whom you trust. If I'm surrounded by people I trust, I'm willing to say yes to almost anything.

Julia:
dress ISSEY MIYAKE
shoes UNTILAB

Gabriel:
top and trousers ISSEY MIYAKE
shoes VEJA

After more than two decades of acting, what still excites you when you step onto a film set or into a recording studio?

I think it's an exchange with other people. Every project introduces you to incredibly talented artists, and I'm naturally curious. I always want to understand how someone else works, what their creative process is, how they approach a particular scene, a lighting choice, or a set.

But what attracts me the most is the sense of risk. It's that feeling of not knowing whether I can do it, not knowing exactly how I'm going to get there. At the beginning of every project, that's genuinely how it feels. When I accept a role, my first thought is often, "I don't know how to do this." What fascinates me is discovering the path that eventually leads me there. Then, suddenly, you're doing it. You understand why you started from a place of uncertainty.

Everything comes from your intuition, your perceptions, the associations your mind makes while reading the script. And then all of that becomes something real—a performance, a work of art, something another person will watch and hopefully feel something from. I think that's incredibly beautiful.

trousers DRIES VAN NOTEN

You're entering a new stage of your career. What excites you most about what's ahead, both in terms of the projects you're working on and the opportunities still to come?

Talking about the future always makes me a little anxious. But right now, I'm very interested in developing my own artistic voice.

I went back to theatre school last year, and that experience allowed me to reconnect with myself in a space where I could experiment, try things, and make mistakes without the pressure of producing something for immediate delivery.

That really rekindled my desire to explore, to understand what I want to say, what I want to create, and how I want to create it. That naturally brings me back to theatre. It's such an ancient, almost ancestral space that offers artists endless possibilities. That's where my thoughts are at the moment. I hope to be back on stage soon with a play. I still don't know which text it will be, but that's what I'm searching for.

Julia:
jumpsuit HAWA PARIS
shoes VEJA

Gabriel:
shirt and trousers ÉTUDES STUDIO
shoes AGNÈS B.

What keeps you inspired and fulfilled outside of acting?

I'm the kind of person who gets bored very quickly, so I need to keep rotating between different activities. For a while I was taking ballet and contemporary dance classes. I'm not doing that at the moment, but I do try to maintain a consistent yoga practice, along with some other form of physical exercise.

I also love cycling around the city. Crossword puzzles have been a constant companion for quite some time, and I enjoy painting as well. I don't paint all the time, but whenever I need an outlet for certain feelings, it's something I naturally turn to. I have to keep finding new ways to stimulate myself, otherwise I lose interest. At the same time, I think it's important to have at least one continuous practice outside of work. Otherwise, your work becomes the only constant in your life. I like investing time in other interests too, simply because they allow me to keep developing in different ways.

dress FRANKIE SHOP

TEAM CREDITS:

talent JULIA DALAVIA
model GABRIEL VALENTE
photography LUCAS NOGUEIRA
styling and production DIONE OCCHIPINTI
makeup MANU HORN
hair GIUSEPPE MARLETTA
styling assistant NATALIA ALCKMIN
art direction VITOR ZUIM
AD assistant DANIEL HAICK
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA and LEANDRO DA SILVA