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Julia Windischbauer was born on December 15, 1996, in Linz, Austria, and grew up in nearby Leonding. She made her stage debut at the age of twelve as the "Frog King" in the Linz-Dornach amateur theater group, where her grandfather was also involved. While attending high school, she also studied at the Musical Theatre Academy in Puchenau near Linz (2008-2014). After completing her secondary education, Windischbauer began studying English and Theatre Studies in Vienna. During this time, she also performed in youth projects at the Landestheater Linz and the Junge Burg in Vienna.
From 2016 to 2020, Windischbauer pursued acting studies at the Otto Falckenberg School in Munich. In May 2019, she was awarded the O.E. Hasse Prize, which recognizes "outstanding talent." Even before graduating, she secured an engagement at the Munich Kammerspiele, where she was nominated for Young Actress of the Year by the magazine Theater heute for her title role in "The Vacuum Cleaner." From the 2020/21 season until August 2023, she was a member of the ensemble at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, where she performed in notable roles such as Elisabeth in "Maria Stuart" and Caliban and Antonio in "The Tempest."
After appearing in several short films, Windischbauer took on a leading role alongside Elena Wolff in the lesbian relationship drama "Para:dies" (AT 2022), where she also served as producer and editor. Her performance earned her the Best Young Actress award at the Max Ophüls Prize film festival, as well as the Acting Prize at the Graz Diagonale Festival.
In the summer of 2023, Windischbauer embarked on her first film as a director, producer, screenwriter, editor, and lead actress. The film, titled "Callas, darling", follows the road trip of two very different women through Albania.
In the 2023/24 season, Windischbauer joined the ensemble at the Vienna Burgtheater, where she made her debut in both leading roles in "Hildensaga. A Queen's Drama," followed by "Iphigenia in Tauris" in 2024. In June 2024, the family drama "Sonnenplätze" ("Places in the Sun") premiered at the Munich Film Festival, featuring Windischbauer in a leading role as a crisis-stricken author. The film received multiple awards and was released in German cinemas in August 2024.