Lucas Bravo is officially set to reprise his role as Gabriel in Emily in Paris for season 5, even after expressing dissatisfaction with his character’s evolution.
The 36-year-old actor will begin filming scenes for the next season when production starts in May 2025, as reported by Variety. Gabriel’s Michelin-rated restaurant will continue to be a central setting, as the storyline remains anchored in Paris.
However, the show will also venture beyond its Parisian roots, with some scenes set in Rome, following Emily’s (Lily Collins) job offer in Italy. A third filming location is currently being considered, with Saint-Tropez or Megeve as potential options.
Bravo’s return was confirmed despite his previous criticism of Gabriel’s arc in recent seasons.
“The ‘sexy chef’ was very much part of me in season 1, and we grew apart season after season because of the choices he makes and the direction they’ve taken him,” Bravo said in an October interview with IndieWire. “I’ve never been so far away from him.”
Bravo also compared Gabriel’s evolution to “turning into guacamole,” taking a jab at what he felt were uninspired narrative choices.
“In season 1, there was a lot of me in him,” Bravo explained. “But as they made him kind of unaware of his surroundings, always the victim, completely lost in translation, and oblivious to everything happening around him—being manipulated by everyone—it became not fun for me to shoot.
Or to see a character I love so much, who brought me so much, being slowly turned into guacamole. I really grew apart from him.”
The actor admitted to voicing his concerns during production but acknowledged the limitations of working within the confines of a set script.
“There is only so much I can do within the limits of a script,” he said.
“I tried for seasons to bring nuances, but we don’t have much liberty on set. We cannot change a word or an emotion. They know what they want, and we just have to comply.”
At the time, Bravo even hinted at potentially stepping away from the series.
“It makes me question if I want to be part of season 5—because my contract ends at season 4,” he shared. “I really want to see if Gabriel gets back to his fun, cheeky, playful, alive self.
Because three seasons playing melancholic, sad, depressed, and lost is not fun anymore. It’s a comedy—everybody is having fun around me, jumping around—and I’m just slowly sinking into god knows what.”
Following his remarks, a source told that the comments stirred frustration within the cast and crew.
“The show is Emily in Paris—not Gabriel in Paris,” the insider revealed. “Everyone is so upset about the remarks he made. There is going to be a lot of tension.”
As for Gabriel’s storyline, season 4 saw the character embroiled in emotional turbulence. Gabriel discovered that his ex, Camille (Camille Razat), had fabricated a pregnancy, which initially prevented him and Emily from pursuing their feelings for each other.
While the two explored a brief romance in the latter half of the season, Emily ultimately moved on with Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini), just as Gabriel resolved to fight for their future together.
“I think Gabriel realized that he doesn’t want to let Emily go so easily, and he might have made a big mistake,” series creator Darren Star told Deadline in September.
“They certainly had a big fight and a cooling-off period. By the end of the season, I think he feels there’s unfinished business with the two of them.”
Season 5 of Emily in Paris promises to unravel these complexities further, with Bravo once again stepping into the role of Gabriel. Emily in Paris is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
