- - Lucas Bravo Almost Wasn't Cast In “Emily in Paris”. Here's Why the Actor Was Initially Rejected (and Who 'Fought' for His Casting)

Emily BlackwoodDecember 18, 2025 at 5:30 AM

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Courtesy of Netflix

Lily Collins and Lucas Bravo in 'Emily in Paris.' -

Emily in Paris premiered on Netflix in October 2020, starring Lily Collins as an American marketing executive

Though Lucas Bravo has played one of her primary love interests since season 1, he was almost passed up for the role

The actor also expressed dissatisfaction with his character's arc in 2024, sparking rumors that he wouldn't return for season 5

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Lucas Bravo as the "hot chef" in Emily in Paris. But he almost didn't get the gig.

The French actor revealed in a September 2024 interview with PEOPLE that he was initially passed on for the role of Gabriel — the primary will-they-won't-they love interest for protagonist Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) — for his lack of experience. But when he got a second chance to read with his future costar, their chemistry was undeniable. Even if Bravo nervously ranted "about goat cheese for 10 minutes."

“When I left the room, and I closed the door, I was like, ‘I can't believe I just talked about goat cheese,' " The Seduction actor told PEOPLE. "'You're never going to get that part.’ "

But the lengthy, and at times heartbreaking, audition process ultimately paid off thanks to his on-screen connection with Collins and a vouch from Emily in Paris creator Darren Star. Since the series premiered in 2020, Bravo has become a fan favorite.

Though there were rumors that he wouldn't return for the fifth season, which premiered on Dec. 18, the actor teased an attitude adjustment for his character in a November 2025 interview with Variety.

"I think Gabriel is going back to what he was in season 1," Bravo said. "I think all of us wanted to bring back a fun Gabriel. I hope we addressed the demand!"

So, why was Lucas Bravo almost not cast in Emily in Paris? Here's everything to know about the actor's audition process and what he's said about his role since.

Bravo initially lost the role due to a lack of “background”

Caroline Dubois/Netflix

Lucas Bravo in 'Emily in Paris.'

The actor went through five auditions for the role of Gabriel over the course of several months. He told PEOPLE that he didn't land it because Paramount, the parent company of the studio behind Emily in Paris, didn't "want to take a chance" on him due to his lack of "background."

After learning that he didn't get the part, he took a trip to the French island of Corsica to get his mind off the series.

"I remember I was trying to get over it because the answer wasn’t coming," he told Who What Wear in October 2020. "And I didn’t want to overthink it or be disappointed because that happens so much in this line of work."

He later auditioned for the part of a different love interest

Caroline Dubois/Netflix

Lily Collins and Lucas Bravo in 'Emily in Paris.'

After spending time in an area on Corsica with limited cell service, Bravo realized he had 40 messages and missed calls from the Emily in Paris casting director asking where he was. He told PEOPLE that "the official Gabriel" had signed his contract and was about to start filming, but they wanted him to read for another one of Emily's love interests.

The actor returned to Paris and read Gabriel's lines once more while auditioning for the other roles — a move he described as "a bit harsh." Bravo also did a chemistry read with Collins, which he said "went super well."

"Lily is very generous," the actor told PEOPLE. "When you dive into her eyes, it's really easy to be connected to her.”

After the reading, the Emily in Paris team asked Bravo where he was when they were attempting to contact him. "I was like, ‘I was in the mountain with this shepherd making goat cheese,’ and I was so uncomfortable I talked about goat cheese for 10 minutes,” he recalled.

Creator Darren Star “fought” for him

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty (2)

Darren Star in 2025 ; Lucas Bravo in 2025.

A day after the chemistry read with Collins, Bravo got the call that he had landed the role of Gabriel, mostly thanks to the show's creator. The actor told PEOPLE that Star "went against the studio" and "fought" for his casting because he believed Bravo was the one for the role "from the beginning."

Star was actually a huge reason Bravo wanted to be on the show in the first place, telling Who What Wear that he was "such a fan."

"I love his work," he said. "He is such an icon. So I at least wanted to have the opportunity to read it or know what was going on. To know our city, Paris, was going to be filmed with an American perspective — with Darren’s perspective — was so exciting that I really wanted to be a part of it."

Bravo said he “grew apart” from the character in season 4

Courtesy of Netflix

Lucas Bravo in 'Emily in Paris' season 4.

After playing Gabriel for four seasons, Bravo became frustrated with the direction his character was headed. In an October 2024 interview with IndieWire, he said the fictional chef had been "slowly turned into guacamole."

“The ‘sexy chef’ was very much part of me in season 1," the actor told the outlet. "We grew apart season after season because of the choices he makes and because of the direction they make him take. I’ve never been so far away from him."

Some of the specific issues Bravo voiced were that Gabriel was "always victimizing" and "oblivious to anything that is happening around him." He added that it was "not fun" to witness those shifts in a character he loves "so much."

At the time, Bravo even claimed that his contract was set to end after season 4 — and that he was questioning whether or not he wanted to be part of season 5.

But his casting was confirmed for season 5 in April 2025

Caroline Dubois/Netflix

Lucas Bravo in 'Emily in Paris.'

Despite his hesitations, Deadline reported in April 2025 that Bravo was set to return for the fifth season of Emily in Paris. He referenced the "guacamole" interview when speaking to Variety in November 2025 and said he was looking forward to returning to the parts of Gabriel he loved most.

"My character was proactive in the first half, and then the second half was a bit gloomy," Bravo said. "When I did that [guacamole] interview, I was referring to my love for the character in the first half! I think any actor is always happy to have fun parts to play."

on People

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