Lesley-Ann Brandt was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa but traveled to Auckland, New Zealand in 1999 with her family. She started out as a model before she got noticed by casting directors, who suggested she take up acting. She trained with various acting coaches in New Zealand and has since appeared on a number of TV commercials. This led her to be cast on several shows like Shortland Street in 2007. Two years later, she rose to fame as Leilani Fa'auigaese in the show Diplomatic Immunity.
In 2010, Lesley-Ann Brandt booked the role of Naevia on Spartacus: Blood and Sand, airing on the Starz Network. She followed it up with performances on Legend of the Seeker, The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell, and even on the show Chuck. She also reprised her role on the Spartacus prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, in 2011.