IN CONVERSATION WITH LUCAS BRAVO

Interview by Jana Letonja

International  actor Lucas Bravo can currently be seen in  Darren Star’s  global phenomenon  ’Emily in Paris’ on Netflix. The Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated series  released its  highly anticipated  third season  on 21 December 2022.  This past October Lucas also starred in Universal Pictures’ ‘Ticket to Paradise’ alongside Julia Roberts and George Clooney.

Lucas, you are a fan favorite from the hit series ‘Emily in Paris’, where you star as Emily’s love interest, Gabriel. After 3 seasons, how does it feel being a part of this series and cast? 

It’s definitely the most interesting experience I’ve ever had. When you shoot a movie, you enter the job and the character, and the universe of the movie. And then when done, it’s behind you and you move on to the next thing. And being on the series is always very interesting, cause you go on with your life, you gather experience and travel and change and work and then you have to get back to it. Everybody changes and when we see each other again, we have grown, we have stories to tell, and we see each other evolving. So it’s like being part of a family and it’s always exciting to be working with your family.

The whole cast seems pretty close also off the screen. Who would you describe as the funniest out of you all? 

That’s hard because everybody’s very funny but in a different way. Lucien definitely makes me laugh a lot, he’s very cheeky and fun and has a very subtle sense of humor. Ladies can be very funny too, in their own kind of way. Everybody has a rich personality, so it’s about the ensemble and what we bring together.

Season 3 had quite a shocking ending for the viewers. How do you personally see Emily and Gabriel’s love story moving forward from this?

I don’t believe Emily really needs to be with a man to be happy. I don’t know the end game and I don’t mess with that, but I think maybe sometimes you need to be alone to figure things out. The chemistry between Gabriel and Emily is undeniable, no matter what they’ve done or what mistake they’ve committed. I just want them both to be happy. 

The success of the series has opened a lot of doors for you in your career. How would you describe ‘Emily in Paris’ changed your life?

It definitely gave me visibility and with visibility, you can access more castings and more scripts. I’m at a very early stage of my career, I’m still auditioning for everything, they don’t throw scripts at my face. It definitely opened up the curiosity of casting directors and directors, so it gave me a chance to get closer to what I want to accomplish.

This past October you also starred in Universal Pictures’ ‘Ticket to Paradise’ alongside two of the biggest names in Hollywood, Julia Roberts and George Clooney. Were you nervous at all when you got cast and found out that you’ll be sharing the screen with them? 

It’s funny because I’ve always had imposter syndrome. Every time I’m working at something hard, I don’t think I’m good enough. They say that luck is when preparation needs an opportunity. And I was so prepared for this part, worked so hard for the audition, so I was ready to do it. 

I grew up with George and Julia, with all their movies, and it was like going to set with people I knew even though we never met before. I knew their acting, everybody’s familiar with their films and just to get the opportunity to work with such generous and beautiful human beings, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to be on set.

You were born in the south of France, but your family moved every two years, which enabled you to quickly adapt to every new country. But with this, you also developed a love to travel and explore the world. What do you love the most about traveling and experiencing new countries and new cultures?

I think the answer is in the question. Traveling allows you to experience the world and see the world for what it is. We have so much access to information and so many screens and phones and TVs and the internet, but there’s a rush in transformation and it’s just the story of the world told by other people. I think there’s no better way to experience the world than just traveling and meeting people and different cultures and different ways of thinking. It extends your mind and your creativity and it allows you to grow faster and in the right direction.

Which country or city has made the biggest impression on you so far?

It’s hard to compare cause every country is special for different reasons. I think the North Pole was definitely interesting because of what I saw there. The calm, serenity, and compensation refined also a big part of life there. It was a life-changing experience. People would complain there’s snow and not many people, but it’s where I find the most, the deepest, meaningful messages. 

I did a trek to Alaska, so that was also an experience. And Iceland was really amazing too. I like the serenity of cold places.

After returning from Italy to Paris, you studied Criminal law. I’m very intrigued what made you choose Criminal law? 

We live in a system where they, in France for example, ask you at 18 what you wanna do with the rest of your life. And I always thought this was such a trick question because you don’t know what you want at 18. You think you know what you want in terms of career, in terms of work, of passion, but everything evolves and you don’t know who you are at 18. 

When I think about who I was at 18, I have no idea who I was, what I wanted, and what I needed. So one day when they asked me what I want to do for the rest of my life, I was like ‘I have no idea’. So I went into criminal law because my brother was in criminal law and I was just fascinated by lawyers and people trying for their clients. It was very much like a stage, very much like acting. I didn’t give it much thought and was just gonna go in that direction and seeing where it takes me.

And how did you then develop your passion for acting from that?

It’s really from traveling. I traveled so much that in every place I would go to, I had to reinvent myself and fit in very fast. I had to be a chameleon and so I really learned how to recognize patterns and fit in very fast. But in that process of being what people expected me to be, I didn’t know who I was. So the first time I came across a play, apart, I felt safe with the idea that a character is defined. You know, how he talks, how he walks, what he does, what he thinks. The tools I used to define the character, I also applied to my life, to find who I was and so it became a passion.

You grew up with an admiration for fashion and arts and have also collaborated with brands such as Chanel, Dior, and Cartier. What do you admire the most about fashion? What makes you feel connected to it?

Just like painting, just like music, just like acting, fashion is a form of art. What you wear in the morning when you go out is a statement. Who you are, how you feel, where you’re going, and what your intentions are. Even when you feel like you’re putting on nothing, it’s also a form of control, it’s also a statement. It’s like ‘Hey, I don’t care. I don’t wanna care. So fashion is a form of expression. But it’s not so much about how it looks, it’s about the method and how precise a message can be. 

Nowadays we use words to express feelings. And sometimes silence is way more meaningful and rich. Looking someone in the eyes, you can have a much deeper conversation than you would with words. It depends on where you’re coming from, what education you have, and your vocabulary. Sometimes what you really feel is a limitation. So fashion is the same. I feel like the more I dig into it, the more I find new languages and new ways of expressing myself. It’s also like cooking, there’s love and expression. 

With the of course highly anticipated Season 4 of ‘Emily in Paris’, what next projects will we be seeing you in?

I can’t say anything until they announce it, but it will be my first leading role in a film. I can’t wait for it to be announced.

TEAM CREDITS
Talent Lucas Bravo @lucasnbravo
Photographer Kosmas Pavlos @kosmaspavlos
Stylist Laurent Dombrowicz @laurentdombrowicz
Model Lise @ VNY @lisebosch @vnymodels
Hair Eduardo Bravo @eduardobravohairMake-up Maria Olsson @ Wise & Talented using Barbara Sturm @mariaooolsson @wiseandtalented
Manicurist Audrey Cheri @audreycheri
Set designer Jimme Cloo @jimmecloo
Casting Marvin Latournald @ Models Lane @mfashionisto @models_lane
Photo assistants Luke Johnson & Anthony Peyper @lukejohnsonphotographic @pypr
Digital imaging Alexandra Heindl @dienachbarin
Fashion assistant Julian Desouvigny @atelier.fhd
Editor Timi Letonja @timiletonja
Cover design Arthur Roeloffzen @arthurroeloffzen