MAGNIFIQUE! Emily In Paris star reveals she’s in next season of The Crown
AS FORMIDABLE marketing boss Sylvie Grateau in the Netflix drama Emily In Paris, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu won rave reviews from critics.
And the actress’s star continues to rise – as she reveals today that her next TV challenge will be in the new series of The Crown.
While the 58-year-old remains coy about who she will play in the forthcoming fifth series, which covers the 1990s, including the fire at Windsor Castle and the collapse of several Royal marriages, she admits: ‘I was so, so happy to be in it.’
But The Mail on Sunday understands Philippine will play Monique Ritz, the widow of Charles Ritz, who sold the famous hotel in Paris to Mohamed Al Fayed in 1979. Her scenes are part of a back-story that culminates with the death of Princess Diana and Mr Al Fayed’s son Dodi in a crash in 1997 after they left the hotel.
In an exclusive interview with You magazine, Philippine reveals she turned down many roles similar to that of Madame Grateau, the no-nonsense Parisienne businesswoman in Emily In Paris, who clashes with young American marketing executive Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins. ‘I have received a lot of offers but I have been lucky enough to be able to turn them down because they lacked imagination,’ says Philippine, who also starred in the Netflix series Call My Agent. She adds: ‘I don’t want to be typecast. I’ve already been a French bitch and she is perfect. I don’t need another one. So I will wait and trust that the right thing will come along.’
One of those ‘right things’ was Peter Morgan’s controversial drama based on the life of the Queen. Philippine says:
‘It was a very small thing but it was a lot of fun and I was so, so happy to be in it. Every episode is like a little film on its own. It’s crazily well written.’
Like The Crown – which has been accused of historical inaccuracy – Emily In Paris has been criticised by some in France for stereotypes ranging from berets to baguettes.
Philippine says: ‘Some liked it, others hated it. But it’s meant to be fun and not taken seriously.’
The frostiness between Emily and her French colleagues is a central theme and, says Philippine, had echoes off-screen too. ‘The Americans on the show did come to Paris thinking the French didn’t know how to make TV and movies,’ she says. ‘One of the directors even told me they didn’t know if the French crew were going to work as well as the Americans.’ She adds with a laugh: ‘We did invent cinema, by the way…
‘It’s the same as with Lily’s character Emily. She comes to the office and declares, “You don’t know how to work, I’m going to show you all how to.” She’s a Miss Perfect, a know-itall, which triggers Sylvie. And it triggered us French when the Americans were like that, too.’