Series insults the intelligence of viewers, says the French actor, who accuses the show of perpetuating ‘archaic’ stereotypes.

The French have not always been kind to Emily in Paris. Le Figaro newspaper said the Netflix series was “dripping in clichés”, while Libération accused it of portraying the capital as a giant Disneyland.

Now a new critic has added his voice to Parisian disapproval of the series that features Lily Collins, the British-American actress in the lead role: her co-star.

Lucas Bravo, the French actor who plays Gabriel, the chef who is Emily’s part-time lover, has denounced the series as an unstimulating form of light entertainment revolving around his “archaic” relationship with Emily, which he says is far removed from his own dreams of artistic “freedom”.

Bravo said he’s feeling finished with the show because “Life is short. It takes five months to shoot this series. Do I want to sacrifice them by telling something that does not stimulate me?”

He added, “I do not want to be a part of a cog that does not tend to take the intelligence of viewers into consideration.”

“Emily in Paris” has been renewed for Season 5, which is expected to air mid to late 2025. The show premiered in 2020 and was reportedly seen by 58 million households that year. It follows Emily Cooper (Lily Collins), an American who moves to Paris, where she juggles her career and love life.

Bravo isn’t the first person to sneer at the intellect — or lack thereof — of “Emily in Paris.”