Julia Lester

Julia Rose Lester, born on January 28, 2000, in Los Angeles, California, is an American actress and singer best known for her work on stage and screen. Raised in Woodland Hills, she comes from a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry—her parents, Kelly and Loren Lester, are both actors, her grandfather was actor Peter Mark Richman, and her uncle is conductor Lucas Richman. She attended Calabasas High School and has been performing since early childhood.

Lester began her professional acting career as a child, appearing in television shows like Mom, Prince of Peoria, Game Shakers, and Mr. Student Body President. Her breakout role came in 2019 as Ashlyn Caswell in Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, where she quickly became a fan favorite. In season three, her character came out as queer—mirroring Lester’s real-life identity—and her authentic portrayal resonated widely with viewers. She has since voiced characters in animated series like Hailey’s On It! and is slated to appear in Netflix’s 2025 miniseries The Four Seasons, alongside Tina Fey and Steve Carell.
On stage, Lester has earned critical acclaim for her musical theatre performances. She made her Broadway debut in 2022 as Little Red Ridinghood in the revival of Into the Woods, earning nominations for the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. In 2023, she starred Off-Broadway as Miss Marmelstein in I Can Get It for You Wholesale and continued to build her stage resume in 2025 with a lead role in All Nighter, earning further Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations. She is set to appear in the upcoming production Queens at New York City Center in late 2025.