Lucas Bravo channels his timid former self in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Lucas Bravo has gone from playing a dreamy chef in Emily in Paris to playing a dreamy accountant in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (in theaters today). The sweet, fizzy drama stars Phantom Thread's Lesley Manville as Ada Harris, a widowed London house cleaner who journeys to Paris to find the Christian Dior dress of her dreams; the cast also includes Isabelle Huppert, Jason Isaacs and Ellen Thomas. Bravo portrays shy, bespectacled Dior staffer André, who befriends Ada — and wishes for a little Parisian magic of his own. The actor spoke with EW about masculinity, his favorite wine, and the rom-com that has gotten him through his real-life breakups.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Your character André has sort of a reverse Cinderella storyline, with Lesley Manville as the fairy godmother who helps him try to get the girl. Did that guide your performance at all? 

LUCAS BRAVO: I was kind of projecting into him kind of what I went through when I was in my teenage life, when I was growing up and trying to find my ground. I was feeling very vulnerable and I couldn't really talk to anyone from the opposite sex. I wasn't really good at it. I always felt like I was bothering.

David Lukacs/Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection Lucas Bravo, Lesley Manville and Alba Baptista in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

I find that very hard to believe.

I mean, everything is a question of perception. And if you tell a little duck that he is a dog, and he grows up with a pack of dogs his entire life, he's going to feel like he's a dog. There are examples like this in the wild. And this is how I grew up, with a very strong feminist figure. She grew up with a very personal idea of men. And so she passed it on to me, and it was hard for me to lean into masculinity. That's what I saw in André. It's funny, it's kind of therapeutic. Every role — I've done many, but so far every role — has taken away a part of my childhood traumas or little things I was trying to figure out.

The strong figure, would that be your mom?

Yes.

What perception of men did she pass on to you? 

Well, she had a very old-school type of dad. And she really grew up to be the opposite, running away from that idea of masculinity and men. She really made it her mission to make her kids into the modern type of man, vulnerable and connected to our femininity, and never leaning into this toxic masculinity. So in the process, I guess, she sometimes overdid it because when you're a teenage boy, you need to find a bit of it, to build yourself. I'm glad it gave me the sensitivity I have today. And I'm glad it gave me the right nuances to perceive the world the way I do, and I wouldn't do it any other way. But as a kid looking for solid ground, it didn't give me confidence in a sense of being a boy.

Your breakout role was Gabriel in Emily in Paris. And that character was somewhat objectified, at least in the beginning. André in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is the opposite: His looks are played down. Is that something that drew you to the part?

Oh, yes, of course. I think as an actor, you always want to be challenged. I think comfort is your worst enemy because you get cautious and you settle easily, and then you don't push yourself …you kind of lose your curiosity. So not that I was feeling comfortable being objectified, but it's interesting to explore different things.

Everett Collection Lesley Manville and Lucas Bravo in 'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'

What was it like working with Lesley Manville? She's such a delight in this movie.

She brings a very normal energy to set. She knows she's from working class, and she really shares the values. She was laughing about this while shooting, that she was perfectly cast because she really spreads the values of the working class. And that's the energy she brings to set. She's all about making people comfortable. And I was able to really experience all my instincts and nuances without getting too much into my head. She was like a mother figure. And at the same time, she was my best friend, so it was quite special. And it was COVID, and we were in this bubble. So by the end, we really created a special bond.

Even though it's a period piece, that notion of her character finding her self-worth as a woman is just as resonant now as it was back then, if not more. There's a perception in Hollywood of how women should be portrayed, and this film shows something different.

The dress, I think, is only an excuse. And of course you could speak for hours about the meaning and the metaphors being behind the gesture of buying the dress. But I think, at the end of the day, it's a story of a woman. You have to remember that, back in the '50s, being a woman in your 60s, you were considered to be at the late stages of your life. And back in those days, women's condition in society was really rough. It was ages ago, but yet, it was yesterday. And so, to have a 60-something woman who goes traveling and operates out of love and pulls everyone with her to change their perspective and fix their issues in life, it's refreshing because we don't see that a lot.

I was watching a Natalie Portman interview today where she was saying how refreshing it was to be turning 40 and to be playing a superhero. And it really made me think about Lesley, who's the superhero in this movie. She's not wearing a cape, but she changes life and she operates out of love, and it feels good.

The fashion obviously is a huge part of this film. And costume designer Jenny Beavan is a genius. Is there anything that you learned about clothing or fashion after being with her?

She works in a very organic way. I remember she was trying the suits for Andre, and she kept having these flashes like, 'Oh, my dad would've worn this. And I remember the streets were like this.' And she kept just diving into her own memory. It was quite fascinating to see someone just kind of ignoring all the usual, 'Oh, we have documentation, we have papers.' She really wanted to dig into her childhood, and add this memory with feelings and sensations and textures and colors. And I think that makes a difference. She really operates out of memories and sensations.

The Dior dress and the way Mrs. Harris feels about it drives the plot of the movie. Is there a piece of clothing or an accessory in your own life that's meaningful to you in the same way?

I don't think so. Clothes just come and go, and I don't have real attachment to material things. I like traveling. So I would say that's my special outfit: my gear to go hiking. When I was a kid I used to keep bubble-gum papers and wrapping, and stuff like that, because I was afraid to throw things away. I always thought at some point I would need them, or they had feelings, and I couldn't get rid of anything. And it took me years to actually stop caring so much about every little thing and how they're going to feel.

David Lukacs/Focus Features /Courtesy Everett Collection

This movie is such a love letter to Paris. Can we do a little bit of a lightning round about French things?

Yes.

Croissant or baguette?

I think croissant. Croissant is a bit more fun. It depends on the baguette, but croissant. Yeah.

Red wine or white wine?

White wine. I like Meursault, my favorite wine. It's a very particular, but very singular one. I don't drink much, but when I do, I like a little Meursault.

Dior or Chanel?

Well, Dior. Let's be corporate with this one.

I mean, you can't do this movie and say a different designer, so I think it's a little bit unfair. Camembert or Brie?

I don't eat dairy. But from my childhood experience, I would say Brie.

Monet or Matisse?

Oh, that's so funny because when I was a kid, my parents gave me a book about Monet and Matisse in the same book. And I mean, they're completely different. I can't really choose. I would say Monet.

STEPHANIE BRANCHU/NETFLIX Lily Collins and Lucas Bravo on 'Emily in Paris'

You're currently shooting Emily in Paris. Is there anything to tease for Season 3?

It's being written as we are shooting, so I don't have much. And we started the shooting a month ago, so we're still starting the season. All the drama hasn't hit the fan yet. Darren [Star] came to set, we're shooting in Provence, and he told me that Gabriel was going to explain some crazy stuff. That's all he said. And he had a little smile and he just left the set. That's what he does.

This fall you'll be in Ticket to Paradise with George Clooney and Julia Roberts. They're the king and queen of the rom-com. Do you have a favorite romantic comedy? 

It's kind an anti-romantic comedy, but at the same time, it's fun. I would say 500 Days of Summer. I like it because, first of all, it's so original. There's so many good ideas in it. I love Joseph [Gordon-Levitt] and Zooey [Deschanel]. I think they make a perfect match. The way it's edited, with pieces from the past and the future, and going back and coming back. And it's very artistic — all the drawings and the music and the supporting cast. I think I love everything about this movie. That scene when they actually get together, and he dances in the street with all the workers. The scene in the elevator, when she talks about the Smiths. Everything is so cute and subtle. And for the past 10 years, every time I went through a bad breakup or something like that, I would watch that movie. It's my breakup movie, and it really does 50 percent of the work of getting me back on my feet.

Related content:

• C'est Magnifique! Emily in Paris renewed for seasons 3 and 4 at Netflix

• Creating Cruella: Behind the seams of the high-fashion film's punk rock look

• Say 'salut!' to Emily in Paris' dreamy chef Lucas Bravo