Netflix’s runaway hit series, Emily in Paris, is known for a number of things: The over-the-top fashion. The binge-worthy romantic drama. How often its characters puff cigarettes and goes out for croissants during the day. But most importantly, it’s synonymous with eye candy.
The show takes place in Paris, after all — home of some of the most beautiful humans Europe has to offer. So come Season 2 of Emily’s personal and professional tour de France, it only makes sense that our favorite junior publicist meets someone new who happens to be devastatingly handsome.
Emily is caught in the middle of an accidental love triangle between her Season 1 romantic interest, Gabriel, and his ex-girlfriend and her estranged friend, Camille, when she encounters Alfie. A British finance bro played by Lucien Laviscount, he’s poised to become a fan favorite at the first glimpse of his flawless smile, chiseled abs, and ever-so-slightly-tight business suits. We’re not just objectifying him for no reason: it’s simply the truth, because the British-born Laviscount is devastatingly handsome and stylish in real life—or, well, on Zoom anyways. Unlike his character, Alfie, who at the start of the season tends to be a bit standoffish and sarcastic, Laviscount is extremely courteous, gracious, and charming—and happy to be part of the expanding Emily in Paris universe.
Ahead, we speak with the actor about bonding with the cast, valuing diversity in casting, and how it feels to be on the cusp of becoming the Internet’s new boyfriend.
Twitter is going to blow up over you in just a matter of days. Are you prepared for that?
Honestly, I’m not. I haven’t really thought about it. The first season was so incredible that I hope me being introduced as the new kid on the block won’t be a big deal. I just hope that I do the character of Alfie justice and do the show proud. That’s all I’m thinking about.
The first season was one of the biggest television phenomena of 2020. Why did you decide you wanted in on the show as Emily’s new love interest, Alfie?
I’m a massive fan of Darren Star. He’s got this amazing way of creating these full-bodied characters that you can literally put into any situation. I’d watched the show, and then I got a phone call. I was in New York working on some other projects, and my manager just said, “Lucien, you’ve got a meeting with Darren Star. He wants you to read for Emily in Paris.” So I dropped everything I was doing. I sent the audition tapes back within the hour, and I got a call back an hour later saying, “Darren and Lily want to Zoom with you tomorrow.”
Then it was getting real. We jumped in the Zoom call, and I think we were scheduled to be on the call for about 15, 20 minutes, and we were on there for about an hour. Lily had just finished four days of work—bless her heart. She was a real soldier just jumping on that call and speaking about my potential storylines. The whole time I was expecting to read my scenes again, and at the end of the call, they were just like, “We’ll be in touch.” And I got a call an hour later saying, “You’re off to Paris.” It was so quick.
Getting a call an hour later? You clearly did something right.
I was like, “Is this normal? What’s going on?” But I was really happy and so thrilled to be a part of it.
CARIN BACKOFF/NETFLIX
Alfie has slightly different energy than the other men on the show. How would you describe him as a character, and why do you think he caught Emily’s eye?
Well, he’s a British banker who’s been unwillingly dropped into Paris for work. So he’s got this vibe where you can tell he doesn’t really care for Paris. He’s pretty hardheaded, and Emily’s pretty hardheaded, and when they come together, they butt heads. And I think it’s that whole thing of opposites attracting. They can both see within each other how they handle themselves and how they see life. Within Emily’s relationship life, everything’s kind of fallen quite easy for her—and this is someone who kind of stands up for himself. They both have to put in some work to figure each other out. From there, the both of them grow together, which hopefully makes great watching.
How is it working with this cast? It seemed like everyone had such great chemistry.
I was the new kid in school coming in for the second season. Everyone’s kind of created their bonds with each other. But honestly, my first day, Lily just threw her arms around me, and from there, it was an immediate welcome to the family, which was so lovely. They really made me feel at home, and they’re all just so professional. And it all comes down from the lead to be honest; Lily is so humble. She’s a leader and she works really hard, and you go on set and she knows everyone’s names. She’s a real thespian, but at the same time, a real fun person, and that just filters down through everyone. She’s the person you want at the helm of the ship for sure.
Alfie brings a new level of diversity to the show, too. The first season received some flak for the lack of diversity. Why was it important for the show in its second season to reflect a more diverse, more realistic Paris?
Within the second season, Emily’s life in Paris [has changed]. She’s embedded into it now, and she sees more of Paris, and she’s seen more people. Throughout the second season, you’ve got these really strong, great characters that you would never have met in Emily’s first initial entrance into Paris. We’re getting to the juice now—we’re getting into the sauce of Paris! I think it’s super important across all shows and Netflix and everywhere else that they’re [prioritizing] diversity. It’s needed, and the team knows what they’re doing for sure.
We see Emily at a crossroads in the last episode, and there’s a bit of a cliffhanger of what’s going to be next for her. What do you personally want to see for Alfie and Emily come season 3? Will they have a future?
I’m gonna take myself completely outta this personally [laughs]. One thing that you definitely get to see in Season 2 is Emily lets her hair down a hell of a lot more. I think she’s so put-together and is always putting all these pieces together for everyone else, and it’s just what Alfie gives to her … they just know how to play together. It’s really important that you see that other side of Emily. They’re not so uptight. They’re not so business minded. She can do things for herself. That’s what I think Alfie really gives to her.
And who knows about Season 3? I had the best year of my life working on the show and working with these people. So if I’m back, I’m back, but as long as I serve the storyline and serve Emily’s story and do a good job, that’s what matters.
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Prepare to Become Obsessed with Lucien Laviscount
Source: Filipino Journal Articles
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