Camille Razat on Her 'Emily in Paris' Character's New Direction in Season 2

If there was one breakout character from Season 1 of Emily in Paris, it was Camille Razat. At first, her character (also named Camille) poses a well-dressed threat to protagonist Emily Cooper's (Lily Collins) budding relationship with her neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo). However, in time, the two leading women develop a strong friendship that can withstand even Emily's accidental dalliance with Camille's brother. 

In the upcoming season of the hit Netflix show, viewers will get a more dynamic sense of Camille, outside of just a fashionable foe for Gabriel's heart. While you can still expect an array of enviable ensembles from the French beauty, Razat speaks to L'OFFICIEL about what else is in store for her character in Season 2 of Emily in Paris.

L'OFFICIEL: Why did you want to become an actress?

Camille Razat: It happened by chance. Initially, I wanted to become a war reporter. I took a competition—which I passed—which committed me to five years of study. But first, I challenged myself to do something a little more fun and light, without it being a sabbatical year. I came across a Facebook ad for a theater internship at Cours Florent. It seemed like a fun experience to me and I signed up for it. I do the internship, I go into school, and I love everything I do there. I never went back to my previous project.

LO: How did you experience the success following Season 1 of Emily in Paris?

CR: It was quite special since in the midst of a pandemic. We had no direct feedback, we were all at home. There was this double appreciation: on the one hand, really happy and grateful, and on the other, not really understanding what is happening. There was a little unreal feeling. Especially since the series is released on Netflix, we are all at home in joggers, and we see ourselves on the screen quite differently—ultra-beautiful, stylish, makeup, hair on top (laughs).

LO: When you read the script for Season 2, what did you think of the evolution of Camille's character?

CR: I was surprised by his way of reacting! I had absolutely no idea that the plot would take this direction. I was both very surprised and happy to play scenes that I did not expect. I really thank the authors and the production for giving me the opportunity to express myself a little more through this Season 2. To have been able to go into more detail about who Camille is, to understand her complexity, her multiple facets rather than locking it into a somewhat slick image.

LO: We are indeed discovering a more daring and assertive Camille. Ditto in terms of fashion, her clothing choices are still as sharp, but even more daring than in Season 1. Was it a desire on your part?

CR: There has been a direct correlation between the way Camille dresses and asserts herself. In her attitude, she is more complex. Moreover, we understand it better. She's not just nice or there to help everyone. His fashion translates this change well with significant looks: big shoulders, shapes that are visible, very present materials. This trend in fashion is totally a reflection of the evolution of the character.

LO: Did one outfit in particular strike you? One you liked to slip into?

CR: I love them all to be honest, but I have to admit that the black Saint Laurent dress that I am seen wearing is just amazing. Its frame, its suggestive neckline—all without being vulgar.

LO: We couldn't help but notice this Saint Laurent dress! Like when you're in a Marcia dress.

CR: Absolutely! This dress is also beautiful! Its material is just amazing! Especially since anyone can wear it: whether tall, small, slim, or round. It adapts to the person who wears it. Without forgetting that the label is eco-responsible, French, that it remains at relatively affordable prices, that the cut is impeccable. I loved this look, tweaked with a pair of Nodaletos.

LO: What did you learn about yourself playing the character of Camille?

CR: Since I play in Emily in Paris, I put on dresses! Before I never put them on, I didn't know how to handle them, I didn't find them comfortable. I liked to play with a more masculine side. Now, and thanks to the character of Camille, I have become more feminine. And also, I smile a lot more! With the difficult period we are all going through, keeping a smile and being able to pass it on to others seems very important to me.

LO: If you were to meet Camille in real life, what would you say to her?

CR: (Laughs) You're a cool girl! Are you funny!

LO: If you had to have a one-on-one with a character from the show, who would it be?

CR: I'm not going to say Lucas, we're already friends in life and he knows it. So I would say Alfie! He's a handsome boy, extremely sympathetic, he has that typically British, somewhat cynical humor—which I adore. It would be a great meeting for sure.

LO: What are your plans for the future?

CR: Currently I am in Yvan Attal's film, Les Choses Humaines, alongside two sublime young actors—Suzanne Jouannet who plays the main role and who is just incredible, and then Ben Attal—without forgetting the rest of the cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mathieu Kassovitz, Benjamin Lavernhe, Judith Chemla, [and] Pierre Arditi. In June, I will be in Didier Daarwin's Mastemah. He has been the director of all the videos for the Marseille group IAM for 25 years, and this will be his first film. It will be a UFO-like thing that we've never seen before. Then, a two-part TV movie, Diane de Poitiers by Josée Dayan, with Isabelle Adjani, in which I play the role of Marie Stuart.