Meet Lucas Bravo, Your Newest TV Crush from Netflix's Emily in Paris

If you’ve already googled “who is the hot French neighbor on Emily in Paris,” then creator Darren Star has done his job. The man who blessed TV with Luke Perry, Jason Priestley, Grant Show, Chris Noth, John Corbett, Nico Tortorella, and Peter Hermann is ready for you to add a new name to that list of leading men who drive our favorite protagonists crazy in love: Lucas Bravo.

The 32-year-old French actor, who is currently filming Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris opposite The Crown’s Lesley Manville, plays chef Gabriel on Emily in Paris, the Netflix series now streaming. Gabriel lives in the same apartment building as protagonist Emily Cooper (Lily Collins), and the two soon find themselves in a love triangle. We’ll refrain from any more spoilers than that.

Instead, let's learn more about the man behind Gabriel. For one, Bravo was born in Nice in the south of France but says he moved a lot as a child because his dad was a soccer player whose career took him all over Europe. While that sounds like a dream for most, it was hard for the young Lucas to feel a sense of belonging. “It was always heartbreaking to leave my friends,” he says. Although it was an opportunity to reinvent himself each time the family moved, he never quite figured out who he was or wanted to be. That changed, however, when his mother put him in an improv class around age 11. “Playing a character felt safe because I already knew their qualities, how they spoke, what they were like…which wasn’t the case in my life because I didn’t really know who I was,” Bravo says by phone from France. “I realized acting is the only job where you pretend to be a human being and that’s fun. Really fun.”

Bravo says he’s still trying to figure life out, but the picture is becoming clearer. After living in Paris for some time, he decided to relocate to “the forest” this summer—a picturesque town an hour away called Fountainebleau—where he could “hear nothing but the wind in the trees and the birds in the morning…just simple stuff in the countryside.”

As if we weren’t already swooning, Lucas Bravo charmed us even more by agreeing to play Inappropriate Questions—Glamour’s column that asks all the cheeky, slightly off-kilter stuff best saved for a second (or third) date. So with a croissant in one hand and red wine in the other, settle in to learn more about the leading man about take Hollywood by storm. Enchanté, indeed.

Glamour: Let’s start with the important things first. How are your omelette-making skills?

Lucas Bravo: Pretty good, actually! When they told me on the show I’m supposed to make an omelette, I was like, “Yes, that’s what I’ve been making for the past two years!” So I’m pretty confident with the omelette. Croissants used to be a guilty pleasure for me, but I stopped. It’s a lot of butter, so it’s not that good for you. Butter is the best, that’s the problem!

Lily Collins told me you even assisted a shepherd in the mountains? Do tell.

With the shepherd, it was completely out of the blue. I went to this shepherd’s house in the mountains, and he was making goat cheese and I assisted him. But a few years ago, I worked in a restaurant, bartending. When the assistant to the chef left, I asked if I could start assisting and loved it. As my mother would say, food is love. There’s a sense of pride also, because it was an open kitchen and all the customers could see us. I would kind of show off, preparing the salads, even though I wasn’t doing the hard work. [Laughs.]

Next important question: You’re working with one of the most iconic TV creators and producers. So what’s your favorite Darren Star show?

I’m going to sound mainstream, but I adore Sex and the City, honestly. I watched it so many times over and over. My friends were like, “This is not what a guy should watch.” And I strongly disagree. I learned so much about things you should or shouldn’t do—in bed or elsewhere—thanks to that show. I absolutely love it. It’s the kind of the show where when you finish it, you feel like you lost members of your family. That’s why I felt pressure the first time I auditioned for Darren, because he's so iconic to me. I respect his work so much.

Which Sex and the City character did you relate to the most?

I really loved Aidan (John Corbett). He wasn’t the right fit for Carrie, but he was so nice and human and down-to-earth. You know that episode where he comes back after you don’t see him for a while and his hair is short and he’s super charming and sexy, smoking a cigar at the bar? I was like, “Yes, I think I have a man crush for this person.” [Laughs.]

Gabriel on Emily in Paris is pretty dreamy. How are you alike and different?

I think we are pretty similar. You know that feeling of being a little lost and not knowing where you’re going? What Gabriel was going through on the show was what I was experiencing. He’s a strong-willed character who doesn’t want anyone to really help him with anything and wants to make it on his own. That’s what he recognizes in Emily and why he’s so curious about her. I think that’s where I connected the most with Gabriel. I’m kind of lost, but hopeful and curious about anything that’s going to happen to me.

What about when it comes to physical appearance? You just got a haircut, but when we did our Paleyfest panel a few weeks ago, Lily didn’t recognize you at first.

[Laughs.] Gabriel’s very clean-cut. I’m more wild than Gabriel. I like long hair. I’m kind of a hippie in my days. We live in a time where I don’t feel we have to be one thing our entire life. I like to change. I get tired of my face pretty much every two weeks and want to change my style, my hair. Some people find their haircut and their entire life they keep it, and good for them, but I cannot do that. I just keep changing.

Currently you have 11,600 followers on Instagram.

Yay!

Okay, but I’m going to predict that by the time the series premieres, you’ll have about a million or so followers. Are you ready for your life to completely change once people watch?

I don’t think anybody’s ready. I don’t even know what’s coming. It would be presumptuous for me to pretend.… I just hope the show is going to work for people as much as I loved shooting it. I really don’t know, honestly. I cannot say. I hope for the best.

We should make a bet right now. When you get to millions of followers, I should win a prize.

You know what, let’s say if you win the bet, I’ll send you a box of macarons from Ladurée.

You have yourself a deal. Okay, next question: You said you hope Emily in Paris inspires people to travel more, so what is your dream getaway?

Patagonia because I really enjoy traveling alone and getting very lost, like just to backpack, explore, and see landscapes. There’s a sort of fear when you get deep into that wilderness, and in that particular place you find really good answers about yourself. I’d really like to go there if everything goes back to normal.

Lily told me your name is pronounced Luca (Loo-kah), but what’s your nickname?

When I lived in Italy, people pronounced it Luca and I thought it sounded really good. In the states, I like [when it’s pronounced] Lucas. I want people to call me what they want. But my friends call me Lucio (Loo-cho). It’s kind of Spanish, because Bravo is supposed to be Spanish. We’ve been in France for generations, but people called me Lucio. Sometimes people call me Bravo, but it’s pretty rare. Which one do you like better?

I like it pronounced Luca. I think you have such a cool name.

Okay, great. You’re actually the first person in my entire life who told me my name was cool, and I’m never going to forget that!

Recently you posted a screenshot of a Wiki link page about you, so let’s discuss. It says you’re 6'1". Is that true?

Yes, that’s true.

And then you circled yes for girlfriend status and it said the name will update soon. So do you have a girlfriend, or no?

I do not have a girlfriend; that’s why I circled it. I purposely circled the wrong information because I thought the whole thing was funny. Actually, Samuel Arnold, who plays Julien, sent me that link. He was like, “You need to see this,” so I posted it.

It also said your net worth is 1.5 million.

Isn’t it amazing?! I guess I made it, you know? Yeah, not quite, but almost there. [Laughs.]

Since you are single, would you ever date a costar? And would you ever date a fan?

Wow. I have this rule about costars. Once you step on set, it’s a workplace, and I want to keep it professional. I mean, you never know what can happen, but I really try as much as possible to focus on the story we have to tell and the performance and the character. But I never know. And a fan? I don’t really have fans, so I don’t know. [Laughs.] That is a question I will maybe answer some other time.

Fill in the blank: I love when my partner…

There are so many possibilities. I love when my partner wakes me up in the morning with cuddly, tender…just a sweet wakeup is the best. Kisses on the neck and all that kind of stuff.

What’s your biggest deal-breaker?

I really don’t like when the person runs away. I like communication. It’s the basis of everything. Don’t be afraid or assume how the other person will take it. I don’t like when there is an elephant in the room and the person chooses to just run away or slam the door or sit in a corner with their baby face on. I don’t like pouting or when someone avoids a conversation.

Who do you think is the sexiest TV or movie couple?

Without a doubt, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal’s characters from Hulu’s Normal People. They are amazing. I was blown away by their performance and their chemistry, and the sex scenes are pretty good. They are pretty real. So yeah, definitely that couple.

What is your favorite romantic song?

RY X’s “Berlin.” I saw him live, and there were probably 30 people in the audience. I was transported that day. The melodies and lyrics electrified the entire room. I remember wondering what it would be like listening to this while sharing an intimate moment with the person I love.

What’s the most romantic dinner you can have?

I like risotto curry coco gambas with a little Moscow mule. It’s a little mainstream, but it’s good.

Lily told me you're also a big Harry Potter fan. True?

Ah, yeah, I am. It’s good that she remembers that because we had a really tiny conversation about it. I’m not a fanatic about it, but I just love to have Sunday marathons with Harry Potter and feel the magic, you know?

What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

Definitely finding the wildest countryside and bringing food and some friends, to jump into the river, climb trees, listen to nature and forget about time and responsibility. Simple stuff.

Emily in Paris is now streaming on Netflix.

Jessica Radloff is the West Coast editor at Glamour. You can follow her on Instagram @jessicaradloff14 to see if Lucas ends up sending her a box of macarons.

Originally Appeared on Glamour