Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu on her Emily in Paris comeback: returning as boss Sylvie Grateau in season 3 of the hit Netflix series, she also appears on The Crown … and inspires women IRL
- Leroy-Beaulieu began acting in the 1980s in France and starred in award-nominated French comedy Trois Hommes et un Couffin, which was remade by Hollywood as Three Men and a Baby
- The 59-year-old is still surprised by her new-found global fame and credits her Call My Agent director Cédric Klapisch for pulling her ‘out of the coffin’ after her career stalled in her 40s
It is quite a turnaround for Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, 59, who never expected this level of international fame. She credits Cédric Klapisch, a director on Call My Agent, with pulling her “out of the coffin” after her career stalled in her 40s.
But it is her role as Sylvie Grateau, boss of a luxury marketing agency who reluctantly takes on the young naïve American, Emily, that has turned Leroy-Beaulieu into a global star.
We spoke to the lady of the moment about her thoughts on the show … and then some.
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu relishes her caustic part on Emily in Paris
“There is a type of American, like Emily, who wants to conquer the world and thinks they know how to do everything better than the rest, but then comes up against someone like me who says: ‘I am Asterix and I will not let you pass!’” said Leroy-Beaulieu with a grin, invoking the beloved French comic-book star who fights the Roman Empire.
Leroy-Beaulieu’s career started strong in the 1980s, with an award-nominated turn in Trois Hommes et un Couffin, which was remade by Hollywood as Three Men and a Baby.
But she never expected to become the embodiment of Parisian style for foreign audiences, having struggled to fit into the city after arriving from Italy as a child.