Emily in Paris: Secrets behind the Je Ne Sais Quoi
Netflix has just dropped the long-awaited fifth instalment of Emily in Paris - and this season, Emily is living La Dolce Vita in Rome!
Emily in Paris: Secrets behind the Je Ne Sais Quoi
Netflix has just dropped the long-awaited fifth instalment of Emily in Paris - and this season, Emily is living La Dolce Vita in Rome!
From the mind of Sex and the City creator Darren Star, the show delivers everything fans adore: extravagant wardrobes, a romanticised, escapist vision of Paris, and lighthearted binge-worthy drama. It’s the kind of show that embodies a certain je ne sais quoi.
So what is it about Emily in Paris that has captured hearts worldwide? Let’s take a closer look.
A nod to Amélie
Creator Darren Star revealed that Emily’s name was chosen as a ‘loose homage’ to the beloved French comedy Amélie (2001).
Starring Audrey Tautou, the movie follows a whimsical young Parisian who quietly transforms the lives of those around her while navigating her own journey of love and self-discovery. Emily in Paris echoes that same whimsical charm and enchanting Parisian magic of its cinematic inspiration.
Parlez-vous français?
Once fluent in French, Lily Collins used to dream in the language… now Emily Cooper barely utters more than ‘oui’ and ‘merci’. Collins may have let her French fade, but Emily makes up for it in style.
She said: “I used to speak and dream in French, read in French, and was pretty fluent. But then I stopped practicing.”
Stop and smell the rosé
When Emily traded the streets of Paris for the Loire Valley, the cast made the most of their downtime - going wine tasting at a nearby vineyard between scenes. Wine not?
Lily Collins said: “We could eat at Café de Flore and have dinner, or a nearby market to pick up food. Or walk next door to a local spot and get a coffee or a juice. The city was at our fingertips. It was a real treat.”
Lucas Bravo added: “In between scenes we went because there was a vineyard nearby!”
Audition Faux Pas
Lucas Bravo may look effortlessly dreamy in his Chef whites as Gabriel, but landing the role was anything but easy. “I was overprepared and so happy to have an opportunity like this,” he said of his first audition, though nerves hit hard during the second. “Darren Star was there… I felt the pressure. I thought it was over.” Star, however, put him through multiple callbacks - even interrupting his Corsica hike - to test his chemistry with Lily Collins. It all worked out in the end and Gabriel became the show’s ultimate heartthrob.
Chef's Kiss
Lucas Bravo was no stranger to pressure before landing Gabriel - he spent his days working as a real-life sous chef while chasing acting auditions.
He said: “It’s a very similar job to acting. There’s a lot of preparation and then, action! You need to be on point, and then you’re left with that rush and the questions of what you did wrong or right. It’s a tough job."
