5 Juliana Paes movies and TV shows to watch after you’ve binged Rulers of Fortune

Juliana Paes sits at the top of Brazil’s acting world. She has been in the entertainment industry for over twenty years, and the majority of the public remembers her from the classic telenovelas. Afterwards, she made her way to the big screen and acted in international series for streaming platforms.

Most recently, she has been captivating audiences with her performance in the Netflix crime drama Rulers of Fortune (Os Donos do Jogo), which was released in October 2025. This time, she is right in the middle of the dark side of Rio's gambling world.

In this series, Juliana plays Leila, a smart and ambitious woman who always knows how to use her charm and power to get what she wants. By giving Leila an extra dimension, Juliana not only makes her feel real and complicated but also avoids the trap of being just another crime show stereotype.

However, this is not the first time that the actress has won the audience’s hearts. Her career is full of great characters, starting from her telenovela beginnings to her recent triumph in shows such as Pantanal and Desperate Lies. Regardless of the project, she always manages to surprise people with her versatility and how she immerses herself into new roles.

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5 Juliana Paes movies and TV shows to watch after Rulers of Fortune

A Dona do Pedaço (2019)

Juliana Paes plays the character of Maria da Paz, a baker who starts her business from scratch but eventually turns it into an empire. The family melodrama, along with betrayals, makes Maria firm and obstinate. Unyielding, guarding, and family loyalty being her strongest traits, the audience strongly identified with her struggle and supported her, thus making Maria da Paz a character who was not only well-liked but remembered along with other leading roles of this Brazilian show.

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Pantanal (2022)

In the Pantanal revival, Juliana Paes turns into Maria Marruá, a wild and enigmatic mother who is connected to the unspoiled beauty of the marshes. Maria resembles a myth, a power of nature herself. She is daring, caring, and her entire narrative is interwoven with the themes of survival and kinship. There is one instant that remains etched in everyone's memory: the time Maria changes into a jaguar (the infamous "mulher onça"). Juliana infuses the part with such a power that she makes Maria fierce and unforgettable at the same time.

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Desperate Lies (2024)

In the series Desperate Lies, Juliana Paes plays Liana, who is a total mystery queen surrounded by secrets and lies, sprinkled with a lot of bad decisions. You can ever be sure about her thoughts: one second she is all affection and the next she is revealing scandalous things like they are nothing. The story has many dark and twisty turns, and Juliana, without a doubt, devours every scene. At the moment when the tension in the drama reaches the highest point, she is equally chaotic and emotional.

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Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (2017)

In this film adaptation of the classic novel, Juliana Paes plays Dona Flor. Dona Flor is torn between the recollections of her deceased husband and the excitement of a new love, with a little bit of the supernatural involved. Juliana gives the character life and magic, allowing us to see Dona Flor’s battle with love, loyalty, and longing. Her performance lights up a story that is already loved by many Brazilians.

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India: A Love Story (Caminho das Índias) (2009)

The much-acclaimed telenovela has Juliana Paes playing the role of Maya Meetha, a woman stuck between two worlds: Brazilian and Indian. Maya’s life can be described as totally turbulent, consisting of family pressure, complicated love situations, and an identity crisis. Juliana, throughout the story, beautifully expresses the emotional development as you can see and feel Maya's learning process in knowing the difference between her desires and others' expectations. The audience experiences the emotional depth and cultural conflict, while the character is going through a serious development.