Given the designer fashions, the picturesque filming locations and the big old Netflix budget, we'd have to assume that playing the role of marketing queen Sylvia Grateau in France-set dramedy "Emily in Paris" would be a plum gig for any actress.
But Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu — who will next be seen as the Agence Grateau owner in "Emily in Paris" season 4, which will be split into two parts, with the first five episodes out on Thursday, August 15 and the remaining five to follow on Thursday, September 12 — recently revealed that there are surprising downsides to the role.
In a July 26 interview with The Times, the French actress revealed that men are scared of her IRL due to her hyper-sophisticated, hard-as-nails character.
“Yes, and women too. Sylvie is only part of me! And Sylvie is layered. She is tough, but she’s vulnerable,” Leroy-Beaulieu told the outlet. “When you’re hypersensitive you have to be tough, to protect yourself. Otherwise what? You’re just gonna cry all the time? You need armor to protect yourself from this sh---y world. You have to say no. You have to have boundaries. Because people try to get you all the time.”
When asked if men in real life "look at her and see Sylvie," the actress responded: “I don’t know. I should ask them: do you see Sylvie in me?... I think a good man, a mensch, is not afraid of a strong woman. Are there enough good men?”
The TV star also humorously recounted a fan run-in while hanging out with Bruno Gouery, who plays eccentric Agence Grateau employee Luc in the series. “Tourists are always amazed when they see us in the street. It happened yesterday in a shop. This American guy says, ‘Are you Sylvie? Oh my God, it’s my first day in Paris and I’ve met Sylvie.’”
"Emily in Paris" fans are going to get to catch up with Sylvie as well as the rest of the Agence Grateau crew when the series returns on August 15. According to the official season 4 synopsis from Netflix, the new episodes will see Sylvie "forced to confront a thorny dilemma from her past for the sake of her marriage" and the rest of the marketing team navigating personnel shakeups. If you remember, season 3 saw some professional tension between our heroine Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) and coworker Julian (Samuel Arnold).
As for what to expect from season 4, Leroy-Beaulieu says to get ready for "the fun and the frothy," telling The Times that the reason for the sheer success of "Emily in Paris" is the show's "escapism."
"That was important in lockdown, but it’s still the case — the world hasn’t got any better, has it? There’s the fashion. And it’s layered; it’s knowing. Darren has a talent for the fun and the frothy, but with other themes going on as well," she told the publication. "We have fun but people always think we’re having a blast all the time, but it’s like music: you’ve got to be disciplined. Comedy is hard.”
Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all things "Emily in Paris" ahead of the fourth season, including behind-the-scenes tidbits, actor insights, character descriptions and on-set photos. In the meantime, you can catch up with Sylvie, Emily and the rest of the Agence Grateau team by rewatching the show's first three seasons with a Netflix subscription.
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