Emily In Paris Star Lucas Bravo Isn't Just A Chef On TV

It's no shocker that Lucas Bravo's dashing character of Gabriel on "Emily in Paris" has caused both Emily (Lily Collins) and the show's collective audience to swoon. After all, he's pretty much everything one could want in a picture-perfect, French-romance-style love interest. He's handsome, charming, exceptionally kind, and just the right amount of emotionally unavailable to make him seem all the more desirable. Oh, and he can cook, too — like, really, really well.

Gabriel's stellar cooking skills are actually a central part of his character, with his duties as the chef of Chez Lavaux being a key point of his personal progression across the series. However, some fans of the series may be surprised to learn that having talent in the kitchen isn't just an act that Bravo puts on for his portrayal of Gabriel. In truth, the "Emily in Paris" star actually has exceptional cooking chops in real life as well.

Before he won the hearts of fans in "Emily in Paris," Lucas Bravo actually spent time working as a cook in a real restaurant kitchen. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the star recounted how the opportunity came about: "A few years ago, I was working in this bar and one of the sous chefs left and I told them, 'I don't think I can learn anything more at the bar. Can I assist you?' And he accepted. So for two months, I was basically a sous chef and I had a blast."

While Bravo doesn't work as a cook anymore and appears to be focusing on acting, that doesn't mean he's left his skills behind completely. In fact, Bravo often takes the opportunity to actually make the dishes in "Emily in Paris" while filming. The actor even made the iconic omelet that Gabriel makes for Emily early on in the series. "Some people have stunt doubles to jump from planes and I have stunt doubles to cut my vegetables on the show," Bravo joked in an interview on Good Morning America. "We get in fights. I'm like, 'Please let me cut my vegetables.'"

Some have criticized "Emily in Paris" for featuring unrealistic food scenes that don't accurately portray what French cooking — or just cooking in general — is really like. However, one spot of culinary realism that the show does get right is Gabriel's dishes, all thanks to Bravo's real-world experience.