Emily in Paris’ Camille Razat on fame, fashion and clichés: the French actress talks about her Netflix character’s classy style, Roger Vivier collabs and new films – interview

Mar 25 , 2023

Camille Razat had her breakout role in Emily in Paris. Photo: @camillerazat/Instagram

Love it or hate it, Emily in Paris has no doubt cultivated a huge fan base for its feel-good, lighthearted vibes, much like creator Darren Star’s other hit shows, Sex and the City and Beverly Hills 90210

Lily Collins plays lead role Emily, but Camille Razat is one of the series’ breakout stars – she speaks about her newfound fame, what’s next and how she’s always played her character Camille as bi

Emily in Paris, the Netflix series about a young American who works as a marketing executive in the fashion business in the French capital, is the most polarising show out there. The much-maligned – and much-beloved – series, starring Lily Collins as the central character, has been fodder for countless memes and hot takes since it debuted in 2020.

Camille Razat as Camille in episode 304 of Emily in Paris. Photo: Netflix

Those who can’t stop griping about its over-the-top depiction of life in Paris and the cliché of the clueless American experiencing culture shock in France, however, are missing the point, as Camille Razat explains on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week in early March. Razat plays Emily’s frenemy Camille, a very charming Parisian involved in a love triangle with Emily and handsome French chef, Gabriel, played by Lucas Bravo.

“Emily in Paris is a heightened reality,” she says. “[Creator] Darren Star did that with Sex and the City as well – that’s not New York. We know you can’t live like that, but we don’t care because they want to sell the beauty of it, the dream, the fashion and the city, and make a lighthearted show that people want to watch.”

Camille Razat attends the Roger Vivier press day at Maison Vivier during Paris Fashion Week womenswear autumn/winter 2023-2024 at Maison de l’Amérique latine on March 2, in Paris, France. Photo: Getty Images

The success of the series has not entirely taken Razat by surprise. “It’s Darren Star, who did Sex and the City and Beverly Hills 90210 – shows that really resonated in pop culture – so I knew it would be something, but I didn’t know it was going to be so big,” she says. “I get recognised on the street and I have a fan base. It’s pretty odd to me, but I’m grateful that people love the show.”

Clad in a chic grey suit accessorised with a bright pink bag and matching shoes from Parisian brand Roger Vivier at the label’s autumn/winter 2023 show, Razat, 29, certainly looks the part and admits that she loves playing her character.

Emily in Paris stars Lily Collins as Emily and Camille Razat as Camille. Photo: Netflix

“Camille is complex and has so many layers to her because she’s independent; she could have worked in the family business but chose another path. That tells you that she’s a businesswoman,” says Razat. “She’s very close to Emily and loves her, but she’s confused about her feelings towards Emily and Gabriel. Her sexuality is also fluid. I always thought that she was bisexual and I always played her as bisexual from the first season. I told Darren, ‘I think she’s bi, do what you like with that but that’s the feeling I get.’”

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