Crafting a love interest that can give Emily in Paris’ Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), a gorgeous chef, a run for his money is a steep challenge. But the second season of the Darren Star–created comedy manages to seamlessly pull off such a feat by introducing British banker Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) into the competition for Emily’s (Lily Collins) heart. Laviscount’s sizzling charm is a big reason Alfie becomes an undeniable contender, and his magnetism oozes from the screen. It even helped him lock down his dream role before formally auditioning.

“I sent my audition off. An hour later I got a phone call saying, ‘You’re going to meet Darren and Lily the next day,’ ” Laviscount tells Tudum. Ahead of the conversation, the 29-year-old memorized a series of script pages, which he’d thought he’d be asked to read during a Zoom chemistry test with Collins. Traditionally, actors must jump through an endless mountain of hoops before landing a role in a comedy that has been nominated for multiple awards. But when Laviscount met with Collins and Star, there was instant chemistry. Their scheduled 20-minute conversation stretched to an hour.

“We were just talking about life, character and what kind of makes this season different for Lily as well,” Laviscount says. “Then it was just, like, ‘Alright. So that’s it, Lucien. Thank you very much.’ ” Laviscount asked Star and Collins if they needed him to read the lines he’d memorized for the introduction. “It was like, ‘No, it’s fine.’ I was like, ‘Okay,’ ” Laviscount continues. He had no idea how the non-audition went.

“Then I got the phone call saying, ‘You’re going to go to Paris,’ ” Laviscount says proudly. 

While joining a cast as famously tight knit as the Emily in Paris troupe could be daunting, Laviscount credits Collins with making it painless. “She made me feel really good at the read-through. She’s funny and she’s professional,” he says, joking that Collins leant him a pencil as the proverbial new kid in class. “The second season of anything, especially a show of this magnitude, comes with a whole lot of anxiety and nerves,” Laviscount says. “For me, it was just about the work and bringing the best out of Emily and taking her on a new journey — and allowing the audience to see this other side of her. Whatever comes of it, comes of it. I’m more about focusing on myself and what I had to do.” 

No wonder the brains behind Emily in Paris immediately knew Laviscount was their Alfie.