Emily in Paris’s Samuel Arnold is rejecting the on-screen ‘gay best friend’ trope: ‘You can’t play ‘gay’ – it’s a sexual orientation; not a characteristic’

You grew up just outside of Paris. How does the Paris you knew growing up compare to the Paris of the show? Does the Emily In Paris version of Paris actually exist?

It does actually exist. But if you live in Paris and you use the Metro to go to work and then home everyday, blah blah blah, you’re not going to really experience it. You’re not going to go to all those tourist spots. You’re not going to go to all those beautiful places and expensive restaurants. Since I’ve started to shoot that show, I’ve started to rediscover the city. There was so much that I didn’t even know about it. Foreigners knew Paris better than I did, because they’re the ones that come to visit and they are the one that actually experienced the best side of the city. When you live in it, you just don’t look – you don’t care. It made me realise that if you really want to enjoy the city, you need to be curious. When I moved to London, it was all new. I really explored it. Now I know central London better than most actual Londoners. I can tell you, some of the cast members [who weren’t from Paris] knew Paris better than me, which was weird. It’s like when you move away from your city, you become more curious.

That’s the premise of the show, isn’t it? Coming into a city and seeing it with new eyes. As Emily is essentially a tourist – a newcomer. So, yes, she’s a bit naive, but she’s also got this capacity for joy and excitement.

That’s actually true. It’s exactly what Emily’s going through. And she’s experiencing the city in the best way possible – the way you need to. She’s very curious, open, and really wants to try out everything. And we see that story unfold in front of us. Sometimes, that’s very funny because of the cultural difference. But it’s a comedy.

You moved to London for drama school. What made you decide to stay?

I realised the energy of the city of London was matching my own energy. It just feels like Paris will always be with me, wherever I go in the world. I feel very comfortable in London, so I may as well stay here, because Paris is still in my heart.

What is it about the energy of London that appeals to you?

When you arrive in London, you arrive with your personal baggage: your culture, your language, your knowledge, everything. And it is welcomed– you add that to the city. Every single person that comes to London adds their own identity. That’s how the city is built. You can, you can walk in the street and hear some people speak Spanish, work in another street and hear some people speak German or French, and they’re all Londoners. It’s a mix of cultures – of everybody – and every single person is welcome in it. And I love that about the city.