“I worked so much on that scene to make it sincere.”
If you haven’t yet zoomed through Season 3 of Emily in Paris, stop reading tout de suite.
If you’ve already watched, then you know this is a très grande season for Camille Razat’s Camille on the Darren Star dramedy. Not only does she embark on a new relationship with a woman, she finds herself at the altar with Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), minutes after she witnesses a tender moment between her soon-to-be husband and Emily (Lily Collins).
“It is a big season,” Razat tells Tudum. “I’m so grateful for the writers and Darren Star because they really listened to me in a way — I told them, in Season 2, I want her to get even more complicated and less binary.”
And that’s not the only bombshell dropped in the finale. In the final minutes, we find out that Camille is pregnant with Gabriel’s baby. Ooh la la. With so much going on, Tudum sat down with Razat in Paris to unpack Season 3 and what comes next for Camille — chic maternity wear, peut être?
When we left off in Season 2, Camille and Gabriel had gotten back together and moved in — despite the pact Camille has with Emily that neither of them would date Gabriel. What’s missing in that relationship for Camille?
Camille Razat: I think Camille and Gabriel are together for such a long time and sometimes it happens, you become more [like] very close friends. You do love the person, but with affection. I think what’s missing in this relationship is passion. You miss, like, the sparkling…
Well, first of all, Sofia is a very successful artist and Camille is working at the gallery. So I assume there is a certain amount of admiration towards her. She’s obviously very beautiful, but I think that what she likes in Sofia is [that] she handles things. She’s the boss for once, because Camille is always the boss of the situation, always. And for once Sofia is leading her.
Right, Gabriel is more passive. Do you think we’ll see more of Sofia? Do you hope that’s something we’ll revisit next season?
Do you think if Camille could have her way, she would be in an open relationship with Gabriel and also be with Sofia?
One hundred percent. But Gabriel’s more traditional. I think she’s more open-minded. I think Camille would be with both of them.
Do you think there’s any part of Camille that’s like, “Well, Gabriel’s slept with Emily so I can do this and it evens things out”?
I don’t think she’s doing it out of revenge. I think it’s more like, well he did it so I really want to do this too. So maybe in a way that helped her to cheat because she’s like, OK, he’s been cheating first so I can do it. But not to get revenge or to be angry. It’s just something she really wanted to do. And maybe if Gabriel didn’t cheat first, she wouldn’t have done it.
OK, we have to talk about the cliff-hanger ending because, wedding! Big speech! Leaving Gabriel at the altar! Pregnancy! What was your first impression when that script came in?
To be honest, I was very frightened. Because it was a strong monologue and the only thing I was very afraid of is that it would be too cheesy, because I hate that. So I was reading it and reading it and reading it and rewriting it and rewriting it. I had multiple conversations with Darren and he really helped me to get the scene — what he wanted from that scene. And Andy Fleming, too, the director. And then there were rehearsals in my house with my boyfriend. I worked so much on that scene to make it sincere.
Why do you think Camille didn’t say something before the wedding? Why did it come right down to the wire, at the altar?
I think it’s what I say in the monologue, like “I can see it in your eyes.” There’s this thing, this connection, this sparkling that is missing between Gabriel and Camille. She sees it with Emily and Gabriel. That’s what hurts the most. And I think this little, little scene when I see them just hugging and I’m like, I knew it. I knew it. I can’t marry a guy that is in love with someone else. I’m not going to lie to myself, to everyone. And they’re also very pushy to Camille. Can you imagine being at the party and, “Yeah, let’s [get married] right now. We have a church.” I’m just in the middle. It’s crazy.
She also really asserts her independence from her family in that speech — her mom’s been a big part of this pact and has been encouraging the relationship with Gabriel too.
I think Camille really loves her mother, but her mother is really too much into her life and her relationships and telling her how to do things, and for once she wants to make a decision for herself — and what a big decision!
Huge, especially because she’s pregnant. What do you see for Gabriel and Camille going forward? Co-parenting? Really chic maternity wear?
Oh my God, I hope not, no. I don’t want to be carrying a baby on the show. I hate it. I mean I love babies, but working with them is weird. I did it once and was like, you’re renting your baby to me. [Laughs] Gabriel and Camille are separated, she’s not [part of] a couple anymore, so I really don’t know. That’s going to be interesting.
Yeah, there’s a lot to unpack next season. Do you think that Emily and Camille can stay friends through this?
I think Camille knows from the start that they’re in love, Emily and Gabriel, and I think during this season she’s accepting it. So I think they can definitely stay friends.
There were more scenes purely in French in this season. How does that change your acting when you go into a scene that’s in French compared to one that’s in English?
Oh boy. It’s so weird to switch languages like that. Because we have a habit — in English every sentence is up, and in French it’s pretty reversed. “Quand je parle français,” it’s more down. So it’s very tricky to switch.
When you’re not filming, what does the cast get up to?
Oh my God… oh my God. We were at the château, we were staying in the same hotel. Oh boy. I’m not going to tell you, but it was fun.
Emily in Paris Season 3 is available to stream now.
