Mara Hautea Schnittka (/ˈmɑːrə haʊˈteɪə ˈʃnɪtkə/ MAR-ə how-TAY-ə SHNIT-kə; born March 19, 1995), known professionally as Julia Montes (Tagalog: [ˈdʒulja mɔnˈtɛs]), is a Filipino actress. Known for playing strong female characters and romantic leads in a range of genres across film and television, she has received various accolades, including a FAMAS Award, two Gawad Tanglaw Awards, a PMPC Star Awards for Movies and a Box Office Entertainment Award. Yes! magazine named her one of the most influential celebrities in Philippine entertainment.

Montes made her screen debut on GMA Network's Sana ay Ikaw na Nga (2001) as a child actress and appeared in several television commercials. After her transfer in ABS-CBN, she initially played young versions of characters in several television series such as Hiram (2004), Ligaw Na Bulaklak (2008), I Love Betty La Fea (2008) and eventually became part of the gag show, Goin' Bulilit (2005–08). She spent the next few years playing supporting roles in various anthology shows and finally gained widespread recognition as Clara del Valle in the remake of Mara Clara (2010–11). It was followed by the teen drama series, Growing Up (2011).

Montes rose to stardom after being paired with Coco Martin in the series Walang Hanggan (2012), as Katerina Alcantara, for which she was hailed as the "Princess of Philippine Television" at the 44th GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards. She has since established herself as one of her generation's most successful actresses in Philippine television, starring in a few more top-rating soap operas, most notable being Ikaw Lamang (2014) for which she won a Gawad Tanglaw Award for Best Actress, Doble Kara (2015–17) for which she won her second Gawad Tanglaw Award for Best Actress, Asintado (2018) and 24/7 (2020).

In films, she made her debut in the family drama Way Back Home (2011). It was followed by the romantic drama A Moment in Time (2013), as Jillian Linden, for which she was nominated for the FAMAS Award for Best Actress, and the romantic horror Halik sa Hangin (2015), as Mia Generoso, for which she earned a nomination for the Young Critics Circle Award for Best Performance. Other notable appearances include the romantic comedy The Reunion (2012), the horror adventure The Strangers (2012), the independent drama Padre de Familia (2016) and romantic-drama Five Breakups and a Romance (2023).

Mara Hautea Schnittka was born on March 19, 1995, in Pandacan, Manila, Philippines, to a Filipino mother, Gemma Hautea, and German father, Martin Schnittka. Schnittka left them when Montes was still a baby, and only her deaf mother raised her with the help of her grandmother, Flory Hautea. She has two younger brothers, Patrick and Paolo. She describes education as one of the tools to have a good life and she hopes to continuously work not just for herself but for her family as well. Montes has other relatives in Germany. In 2011, she finished high school with good grades at the Blessed Hope Christian School.

At the age of 5, Montes began attending auditions and modeling agencies. She recalls the struggles she and her grandmother went through: commuting to castings, hurrying from school to shoots and missing a lot of family time in the process until she was cast in a milk brand, chocolate snack and fast food chain endorsements. However, she said she never competed with anyone and was just in the entertainment industry out of needs. Describing her ambitions as a child, Montes has said, "Since I was a child, I only had three dreams: to become a soldier, a chef and a flight attendant."

Montes started as a commercial model before appearing in various television shows. She began her acting career with minor roles when she was cast in a number of GMA shows such as Sana ay Ikaw na Nga in 2001 as the daughter of actors Robin Da Rosa and Angelu de Leon, and in some episodes of the now defunct drama anthology Magpakailanman. Montes went on to play guest roles on ABS-CBN's television shows such as Hiram (2004) and Maalaala Mo Kaya before landing a permanent spot in the kiddie gag show Goin' Bulilit in 2005.

She also appeared in other television series in 2008 including Ligaw na Bulaklak and I Love Betty La Fea. These parts led her to being cast as a series regular in Goin' Bulilit in which she played various roles in different comedic situations until her departure that year. Also that year, Montes, as Abby, starred in a Maalaala Mo Kaya episode titled "Card", a story of a girl who is longing for the love of her parents while under the care of a nursemaid. The following year, she appeared in Katorse with a guest role in the series' finale episode playing a shy girl Nellie. She was then cast as the teenage Mara, a character with her same name, in the youth-oriented show Gimik 2010.