The lives of Samuel Arnold and Bruno Gouery have not been the same since the success ofEmily in Paris ; they were propelled to international stardom thanks to the Netflix series. We met them.
“It changed our careers and our lives. I’m recognized on the streets all over the world, in Montreal, Paris, New York, London, Japan, Hungary,” confided French actor Bruno Gouery, passing through Montreal as part of the series’ promotional tour.
“It allowed me to work with Italian and American directors, and in the series The White Lotus. “It was a great experience, and playing a villain… I really enjoyed being able to show another palette,” says Bruno Gouery, who is visiting Montreal for the first time, just like Samuel Arnold.
Bruno Gouery, embarrassed, tells an anecdote. “One evening, in Paris, I saw two Americans who waved at me and said hello. I told myself that they recognized me, I smiled at them, then I looked more closely and it was the American director Wes Anderson. [The Grand Budapest Hotel] and the actor Benicio del Toro! I crossed the street, we talked. I don’t know if they are fans of the series, but in any case, it’s definitely thanks to Emily in Paris that they recognized me!”
A very close duo
Samuel Arnold and Bruno Gouery star in Emily in Paris the characters of Julien and Luc, Emily’s two French colleagues. They now form a very close duo, but did not know each other before filming began.
“From the first time we met, the chemistry was instantaneous, we became friends. We come from the suburbs of Paris, we grew up in the same environment, with the same values, and it shows on screen,” explains Samuel Arnold, who was a chef in London at the time he auditioned for the series. “My agent in France told me: go for it! I auditioned twice and at the second one, there were eight or nine people behind the camera, including Darren Star, the creator of the series,” he recalls.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NETFLIX
Samuel Arnold (Julien), Bruno Gouery (Luc) and Lily Collins (Emily) in Emily in Paris
Both actors say they have a lot of fun filming, and the atmosphere is like a summer camp. “It’s a real pleasure to see all the actors again every season, like Lily Collins [Emily]Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu [Sylvie]Lucas Bravo [Gabriel]”It’s true that Emily’s French isn’t improving much, but it allows us to improve our English,” laughs Bruno Gouery.
They never receive the script too far in advance and appreciate this way of working, explain the two actors.
It’s a “work in progress”, and Darren Star’s quality is that he draws inspiration from what he sees on a daily basis in Paris, from our life on set, from our interactions, and I find that fantastic.
Bruno Gouery, who plays Luc
His character, Luc, is funny and offbeat, and over the seasons, he takes up more space. “We take Luc out of the office, we see him in his private life, he lives on a barge, he has a girlfriend. It’s also Luc who gives advice and who introduces Emily to French culture. I teach her things about cinema, Balzac, the Père-Lachaise cemetery,” illustrates Bruno Gouery.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Bruno Gouery and Samuel Arnold
Moreover, from the first episode of the first season, this sentence pronounced by Luc sums up in his eyes all the difference between American culture and French culture: “Americans live to work, we French work to live.”
“We are known for enjoying life, it is reflected in our taste for gastronomy, architecture, we have fun, it is the French art of living. The Americans, on the other hand, are excellent. The film industry is in Hollywood, not in Paris. The Louvre is in Paris, not in Los Angeles. Each one has its own identity, and that is not a bad thing,” summarizes Samuel Arnold.
What I learned from the Americans is that there are no problems, there are only solutions, and I like that approach. What some people see as risks, they see as opportunities, and I find that incredible.
Samuel Arnold, who plays Julien
“The French find many solutions and many problems,” believes Bruno Gouery.
Paris, postcard
And the city of Paris as seen by Darren Star? “Americans see Paris as a postcard, with the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the beautiful neighborhoods, because they don’t want to go to Barbès. Paris is not just that, obviously, but I am delighted to see that they are showcasing Paris, and I thank them,” think the two actors.
Were the Paris Olympics inspired by the postcard Paris ofEmily in Paris ? “Absolutely! It was superb and I was there! I loved it,” says Bruno Gouery.
The second part of the fourth season will be available on Netflix on September 12. Emily flies to Rome and meets a handsome Italian, as revealed in the trailer. “We can’t say anything! The DNA of the series is transposed to Rome, so like Paris, Rome will be superb,” says Bruno Gouery.
Will there be a fifth season? “We don’t know. Darren Star once told me that for a film, you need to find the right actor for the right role, but for a series, you need to find an actor who inspires us, the writers. So I hope we’ll continue to inspire him!” concludes Bruno Gouery.
The first part of season 4 of the series Emily in Paris is available on Netflix.