An international romance! Following a memorable debut on Netflix, Emily in Paris only got more dramatic in season 2 when Emily (Lily Collins) found herself falling for newcomer Alfie (Lucien Laviscount).

Playing the British banker who meets Emily in French class was a dream come true for Laviscount because he was already a fan of the show.

“Oh, I binged the s–t out of it, to be honest. Yeah. I’m a massive fan of [creator] Darren. Darren Star really is a star and he’s got this incredible way of making characters so full and so different, and they all just kind of melt together,” he explained to Elle in December. “And he’s got an amazing rhythm to the dialogue and all these things. So to watch Emily in Paris, I was like, ‘Wow, he’s just nailed it again.’”

As filming for season 2 began, the Celebrity Big Brother alum connected with getting to see Paris for the first time alongside Alfie.

“Playing this character as a Brit, there is no politics or personal agenda. I approached Alfie’s character as just a lonely guy in Paris who just doesn’t want to be there,” Laviscount told Tatler after season 2 dropped earlier this month. “I’m from the north of England and I imagine that if you dropped me anywhere in the world and I felt lonely, I would develop my own defense mechanism — like Alfie’s sarcasm.”

For the Snatch alum, the relationship between Emily and Alfie perfectly brought together romance and culture, noting, “Alfie needs Emily to open his eyes to what Paris can be. That’s what Emily in Paris is all about: showing people the good and beauty surrounding them and helping them appreciate the moments of light in their lives, no matter where they’re from or where they are.”

hile preparing to play Emily’s love interest, Laviscount recalled the connection that jumped off the page to him.

“He’s got this vibe where you can tell he doesn’t really care for Paris. He’s pretty hardheaded, and Emily’s pretty hardheaded, and when they come together, they butt heads. And I think it’s that whole thing of opposites attracting,” he explained during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in December about the blossoming romance. “They can both see within each other how they handle themselves and how they see life. Within Emily’s relationship life, everything’s kind of fallen quite easy for her — and this is someone who kind of stands up for himself. They both have to put in some work to figure each other out.”

Scroll down for everything to know about Emily in Paris‘ newest heartthrob:

1. He Got Into Acting Because of David Beckham

While modeling for David Beckham‘s DBO7 clothing line when he was younger, Laviscount recalled getting caught running on set by the former professional soccer player.

“I thought I was going to get sent home,” the Shameless alum told Fox 11 Los Angeles in September 2015, adding that Beckham instead enjoyed his presence and told him, “You should be an actor.”

2. He Comes From a Family of Professional Bodybuilders

“It was just one of those things where growing up in the gym, that’s the last place you wanted to be because we’d finish school and go back to the gym,” Laviscount shared with Fox 11 Los Angeles about being raised by a fitness instructor and a professional trainer.

3. His Scene-Stealing Appearance on ‘Scream Queens’ Almost Didn’t Happen

Laviscount brought the role of Earl Grey to life in Ryan Murphy‘s dark comedy Scream Queens, but the former reality star almost didn’t make it to the screen. Although he knew that he “really wanted” to join the Fox series, Laviscount initially got rejected for the role after his first audition.

“I was devastated,” he told Fox 11 Los Angeles, noting that later that day Murphy called again to tell him he was going to have a character written just for him.

4. He Has Experience in the Love Interest Role

Viewers may remember the England native played Romeo Montague alongside Clara Rugaard‘s Juliet in 2017’s Still Star-Crossed. He also portrayed Alexander Cabot in CW’s Katy Keene and Ansgar in 2021’s Trust.

5. He Got Cast on ‘Emily in Paris’ 1 Hour After Auditioning

“I was in New York working on some other projects, and my manager just said, ‘Lucien, you’ve got a meeting with Darren Star. He wants you to read for Emily in Paris.’ So I dropped everything I was doing. I sent the audition tapes back within the hour, and I got a call back an hour later saying, ‘Darren and Lily want to Zoom with you tomorrow,’ Laviscount detailed during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in December. “Then it was getting real.”

Although he was only meant to be on the Zoom call for 20 minutes, Laviscount ended up speaking with the executive producers for an hour, sharing, “The whole time I was expecting to read my scenes again, and at the end of the call, they were just like, ‘We’ll be in touch.’ And I got a call an hour later saying, ‘You’re off to Paris.’ It was so quick.”