Lucas Bravo reveals ‘Emily in Paris’ creator fought studio to keep him in the cast

Lucas Bravo, known for playing the charming French chef Gabriel in Emily in Paris, wasn’t the studio's initial choice for the role. However, show creator Darren Star fought against the studio’s decision and insisted on casting him.

Bravo recently shared with People Magazine how he was passed over for the part and, in his disappointment, took a trip to the Mediterranean mountains to escape. "I just wanted to disconnect, be away from everything, and talk to the birds," Bravo said. But an unexpected encounter with a hiker led him to check his phone, where he found 40 messages and 30 missed calls, including one from the casting director urgently trying to reach him.

Upon returning to Paris, Bravo was asked to read Gabriel's lines again for other auditions. Despite feeling it reopened his emotional wounds, he humorously recounted talking about goat cheese for 10 minutes during his audition.

To his surprise, the next day he was told that filming would start in two days, securing him the role that has become one of the show’s most iconic characters.