Netflix sensation Lucien Laviscount has credited Sir David Beckham with revealing his "true colours" during a chance encounter that changed his life. The 33-year-old has shot to global fame through his role in Netflix's Emily in Paris.
The Burnley lad confesses he was originally meant to appear for just a fleeting moment in the smash-hit series, but has now clocked up four series playing British banker Alfie. Prior to landing the role, he'd cut his teeth on beloved British telly staples including Grange Hill, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road.
The actor has now disclosed how former England skipper David gave him his big break in the industry. Their paths crossed during a Marks and Spencer photoshoot when Lucien was merely 10-years-old.
By then, he'd already set his sights on acting, sparked by his mum's bedtime tales and witnessing his younger brother's reaction to The Lion King. "His whole face just lit up, he was in tears going through this whole f***ing emotional rollercoaster," Lucien recalled to The Times.
However, it was a kind act from Sir David that truly launched Lucien towards the spotlight. After the youngster shared his acting aspirations with the former Manchester United legend, Sir David arranged for an assistant to contact a Manchester drama school, reports the Mirror.
The school subsequently rang Lucien's mum to extend an invitation to attend a class. Despite only going twice, the school tipped him off about an audition for BBC drama Clocking Off.
Lucien's journey to stardom began with a role on the show, leading to appearances in programmes such as Scream Queens and Episodes, films like Your Christmas or Mine?, and even a stint on Celebrity Big Brother.
Emily in Paris, which recently returned to Netflix for its fifth series, tells the tale of Emily Cooper, a young American marketing executive portrayed by Lily Collins, who trades the USA for France. Lucien's character Alfie serves as one of Emily's romantic interests as she navigates her new European life.
"When I first came onto the show I was only supposed to do two episodes, I hadn't even been to Paris before," reveals Lucien. He expressed his immense gratitude for the show and confessed it's "insane" to still be part of the cast in the fifth season.
Since its debut in 2020, the show has amassed a massive cult following. The Times reports that the first series alone was streamed 58 million times in its opening week.
Lucien had concerns it might be a "one hit wonder", but the fourth series clocked up 20 million streams in its initial week.
Meanwhile, Lucien himself has accumulated an impressive 2.6 million followers on Instagram, something he admits he's "still wrapping my head around".
In a conversation with Gentleman's Journal, Lucien disclosed that he ran into David years later and even had the opportunity to thank the football legend for aiding his rise to fame.
He shared: "I bumped into him a while back and said to him, 'thank you, you changed my life.' It's a great example of how the simple things you do can change someone's trajectory and how your actions can have results on someone else in a certain way.
"That small gift of kindness, and I'm sure he doesn't remember, changed not just my life, but my friends and family's lives."