“My head was like, ‘how do you even keep your s**t together?’” a stunned Lucien Laviscount recounted of his hot lap experience at Formula E’s E-Prix in Diriyah. However, the rush he experienced on track, hitting speeds of up to 200mph, is nothing like rush of attention he’s received since starring in Netflix juggernaut, Emily In Paris.
After landing the role of Alfie, the protagonist’s love interest, the Lancashire native has been catapulted to a level of fame unlike anything he’s experienced before.
Being introduced to a new global audience has it’s perks, like getting the chance to experience Formula E or presenting Harry Styles a BRIT Award, yet joining a series, which saw a whopping 58million households tune into the first installment, left him terrified.
The 30-year-old told The Standard: “The first week I was s***ting myself. You’re coming in the second season and it’s like ‘the new kid at school vibe’ but I was instantly greeted with open arms by everyone.”
While the comradery on set has made his time on the show ever more special, could his experience on Emily In Paris being coming to a close? In season three’s finale, viewers watched as his character bid ‘adieu’ to his romance with Emily, and potentially Paris.
So what does this mean for Alfie, can fans expect to see him again in the City of Lights? “I’m not too sure” is his answer.
“I honestly don’t know yet,” he continued. “Season three itself was amazing. I had such an incredible story arc. The writers, [showrunner] Darren [Starr] and everyone got behind Alfie a little bit more.
“We got to dive into who he is more and his relationship with Emily. I don’t know if that’s it for Alfie or if there is something for him come back to.
“I’ve not had the conversation yet either way. I think it was a great way to leave but, I think he deserves to come back. He’s got a few more things to throw in the ring.”
Behind Laviscount’s affable, and rather suave exterior, is an actor who has spent the past two decades slowly rising up the ranks, honing his craft on shows like Coronation Street and Snatch.
However, not everyone had belief the lad from Burnley would successfully make the move from British telly to Netflix superstardom – but Laviscount did, he knew one day it would “happen” for him, a former child and soap star.
He reflected: “I had this burning desire inside me that I wanted to make and tell great stories. I never tried nor never wanted to be put in a particular box, or labelled a certain way.
“But now I’m in my lane and I want to ride it until the wheels come off - whatever that means, whatever it looks like. I knew eventually it was going to happen for me.”
The TV star got his first taste of fame on BBC drama Clocking Off, starring Christopher Eccleston and Sarah Lancashire, before setting his sights on a stint on teen series Grange Hill aged 15.
Two years later, Corrie came knocking then he went on to land a role on BBC’s Waterloo Road. Yet, it was his appearance in 2011’s Celebrity Big Brother aged 19 that raised a few eyebrows.
However betting on himself, Laviscount made the move across the pond landing roles on Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, The CW’s Katy Keen and BBC’s Episodes.
Looking back on his two-decade long career, he revealed: “I was blacklisted by so many people in the industry for things work wise I had done that wasn’t necessarily in line with what they were trying to project.
“It’s kind of funny how they all come back around when you do a different job and then it opens up a whole new world.”
Although not naming any particular projects, he elaborated: “There’s certain jobs I was on in my career that could have gone a different way.
“I decided to step away from them because I wanted to experience new things, work with on projects in different countries with different creatives.
“It’s hard sticking to your guns turning things down when everyone around me was saying, ‘do this, it’s the best thing for you.’
“Frankly now I feel like it’s paying off but at the time it was really tricky.”
And paying off it has, especially now might the rumours he’s in contention to become the next Bond be true, something that is unfortunately off the cards to discuss during our interview.
Whether he’s got a license to kill in the near future is yet to be decided, it’s clear Laviscount is grateful for the journey he’s been on thus far, admitting that he’s happier experiencing this level of interest now rather than at the beginning of his career.
He said sincerely: “I really do believe that without having the time I’ve had in in the industry, my life would be very different now.
“I feel like what I take from these moments of success, having a show like Emily In Paris, is so much more than I could have imagined than if it was my first job.
“I’ve grown so much over the years and I just appreciate everything now.”
