Get to Know 'Emily in Paris' Actor Lucien Laviscount
The charismatic Lucien Laviscount returns as Alfie in Season 3 of Emily in Paris to enchant the audience with his British charm.
Photographer by Grace Maier
Styling by JGFL
With Season 3 of Emily in Paris upon us, all eyes are on the actor behind one of the show's main love interests: Lucien Laviscount. In Season 2, the actor rolled into Emily's (Lily Collins) life with some harsh truths about the City of Lights, but the two French classmates were still able to find love along the way.
Born in North England, the 30-year-old got his start on UK television series like Grange Hill, Coronation Street, and Waterloo Road. However, his latest role as Alfie in the hit Netflix show has put him directly in the spotlight. And whether you're Team Alfie or Team Gabriel doesn't really matter, because there's no denying that Laviscount is on a road to stardom that doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon.
Ahead of the premiere of Emily in Paris Season 3, Laviscount spoke with L'OFFICIEL about how David Beckham convinced him to start acting, his morning rituals, and what's next for him and his career.
L'OFFICIEL: How did you get into acting and what fascinates you about it?
Lucien Laviscount: How I got into acting, well, I was young. I think I was about ten years old. I was from Burnley and I had a big afro. My mother and father had always told me that I could do anything and be anything, so I was full of confidence. I was shopping with my mum in Manchester at the time and I was chatting with a saleswoman and we were overheard by another woman who was casting for a Mark & Spencer campaign. So she walked up to my mom and said, "Listen, your son is kinda cool. Would he like to come to this audition?" I thought, Great, it's a day off from school. Why not? I went to the audition and got the job. [I] ended up with David Beckham, which was incredible for anyone. Now and then. He's an icon and he changed my story, changed my path. I owe him a lot. So thank you, David. So yes, it was with DB O7 and Marks & Spencer. I was on set one day doing something really naughty. I ran into the room with the other guys and grabbed the controller from him, he was playing PlayStation between takes. And he came up to me and said, "Lucien, you're funny, you should start acting." And I thought, What is acting? He got his assistant to call an acting school in Manchester who then got in touch with my mother and I went to my first acting class. It was worlds away from what I expected. This freedom to play in any way and not be judged. And I could take on other characters. It was fun back then and it still is today.
What fascinated me about it, and what still fascinates me about it, I think there is no right or wrong. There's no end, there's no middle, it just keeps flowing and I feel like acting is a part of me now. I think we all act every day of our lives. We have different masks that we put on different people. But as an actor, I can live out this childhood dream. I can be a spy one day, someone else the next. I can be anything and this world of acting has opened so many doors for me and I love what I do.
L'O: How much Lucien is in your role as Alfie in Emily in Paris?
LL: How much of Alfie is in me or how much of me in Alfie, I think quite a lot. Alfie is honest about his feelings and he's not afraid of them. That's one thing we definitely have in common.
L'O: How do you develop the characters of your roles?
LL: It all depends. Each character has different nuances, but I feel like many of them are a part of us in general. We all have so many different sides to us in general, but how do I get into these roles? I put on the costume, I put on the shoes. I go down and then try to find a voice, a tone that I think might work. And then it's a collaboration on stage, it's a collaboration with the directors, the writing team. When you're face-to-face on set with your co-workers in costume, I just let the character breathe and bring it to life.
L'O: What's the first thing you think about in the morning?
LL: The first thing I think about in the morning is, Is it already...? Yes, I'm an early riser so I get up at 5 a.m. whether I'm working or not depending on whether I had a night shoot or not. I'm pretty relaxed at home. I like to go for walks and I like to watch old and new films and just let myself drift. And a typical day when I'm filming compared to when I'm at home. I like to get up, go to the gym, focus on my day. It's kind of my meditation. But a typical day of shooting is when I sit in the chair, turn on my music, have some fun with my hair & makeup team and we get on set and "start dancing." When I'm at home I think it's similar. I go to the gym and after that, the "dance" is a bit different. I read scripts, sometimes 3-4 times a week, that have nothing to do with what I'm doing. This is my reading material. I'm still trying to find an algorithm for what works, what scripts look good on screen, and what scripts don't. I'm still trying to figure it out.
L'O: Do you already have shooting plans or are there goals that you would like to achieve in the future?
LL: I want to change and help shape the world. I want to do everything a young life from Burnley could never do and I hope to inspire a few people along the way.
L'O: Are there any projects or topics that are particularly close to your heart?
LL: I guess a lot of people just found out I'll be moving on with Netflix and Darren Star. Team Emily in Paris and Netflix. I'll be hosting a premiere of Emily in Paris in Antigua, which I'm really looking forward to as my family is from there. That puts the island in the spotlight a bit and helps the children there. I am very happy about this and I have also worked very closely with an organization for the past few years that highlights charities with full transparency. These are projects that are very close to my heart that will hopefully be available to everyone in early 2023.
GROOMING Maarit Niemela (Bryant Artists) with Augustinus Bader
GROOMING ASSISTANT Hedvig Barnekow
VIDEO Wagner Morias
PUBLICIST Stephanie Taranu
LOCATION Rosewood London
