C’est la vie? Emily in Paris star Lucas Bravo got real about the ramifications of shooting to stardom amid his role on the hit Netflix series.
“I think being famous is the worst thing that can happen to you. It’s just smoke. It doesn’t mean anything,” the actor, 33, told the U.K.’s The Times in an interview published on Tuesday, December 28, adding that his ascent felt “rushed.”
Bravo won fans’ hearts while playing French chef Gabriel during season 1 of Emily in Paris, which premiered in October 2020. He returned for more romantic tension with love interest Emily (Lily Collins) in season 2, released on December 22.
Although the model has his part on the show to thank for his success, he revealed that he has been typecast because of his good looks.
“You can’t be aesthetically beautiful and be smart or have depth. I kept getting roles like the dumb gym teacher,” he explained. “It’s hard to break that image. I’m not complaining, of course, but it’s a reality.”
Bravo’s place in the Emily in Paris cast only compounded his frustration as he fought to be taken seriously. “I’m, like, this objectified overnight thing,” he said.
The France native noted that becoming a sudden “heartthrob” has made him “very self-aware. Because when you think about that word and the people it encapsulates, you see always a healthy, good-looking, ripped person — and I’m not that.” While he clarified that he is healthy, he elaborated that “the little things that define who you are and make you human” can be perceived as flaws by society.
Despite his criticism of fame and its repercussions, Bravo is not blind to the silver lining of his situation.
“I’m Parisian and, of course, we complain all the time. This is our religion,” he quipped. “We disagree, and then sometimes it creates a revolution, and sometimes it’s just a year of yellow jackets with no conclusion.”
The Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris star’s rise has also sparked interest in his love life, but fans hoping that he might turn an onscreen romance into a real-life connection will be disappointed.
“I have this rule about costars,” he told Glamour in October 2020. “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.”
