To Emily in Paris fans, Lucas Bravo will always be the dashing Chef Gabriel — one-third of lead character Emily Cooper’s complicated love triangle. However, the actor was almost never on the show.
Speaking recently to People, Bravo revealed that after months of auditions, he initially wasn’t cast in Emily in Paris because producers felt he didn’t have “enough background” in acting. After missing out on the role, the actor traveled to the French island of Corsica to deal with the rejection.
“I wanted to be in a place where there’s no service, and I could just talk to birds, so to speak,” he said. However, his getaway ended abruptly following a “very weird” encounter with a hiker, who asked to borrow his phone during a trek “on top of a big rock.”
After using Bravo’s cellphone to call his daughter, the hiker told the actor, “Your phone was vibrating left and right when I got service, so you should check it out.” The following morning, Bravo checked his phone to find 40 texts and 30 missed calls from the Emily in Paris casting director.
The actor promptly returned to Paris to try out for the role of Gabriel once again. When casting directors asked where he’d been, Bravo told them, “I was in the mountain with this shepherd making goat cheese.”
Bravo was eventually cast on the show, and speaking to People, the actor revealed that series creator Darren Star “went against the studio” and fought for him. “He thought I was the part from the beginning,” he added.
Emily in Paris premiered on Netlifx in 2020 and charmed fans with its quirky cast of characters, fashion, and, of course, stunning scenes of Paris. Along with Bravo, the comedy-drama stars Lily Collins as Emily Cooper, Ashley Park as Mindy Chen, Camille Razat as Camille deLalisse, Lucien Laviscount as Alfie, and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Sylvie, among others.
The Future Of Emily In Paris
On Sept. 16, just four days after the second part of Season 4 debuted, Netflix announced that Emily in Paris had officially been renewed for Season 5 — with another European capital still in the mix.
Lead star Collins announced the new season in a teaser video. “There’s no place like Rome,” she says against a Roman backdrop. In photos posted by Netflix and Collins on Instagram, she takes a sip from an espresso cup with the number “5” written underneath. Further details haven’t been announced, but based on the Season 4 finale cliffhanger, Bravo will be back for the journey.
