As the new L’Oréal Paris ambassador, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu is determined to make her voice heard. L’OFFICIEL was able to meet the most inspiring actress of her generation for a moment in time.
It’s around noon, in the most delightful spring weather, when Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu welcomes us. A big smile on her lips, a flowing blouse of a joyful apple green, a disarming naturalness… The actress is one of those who has a sunny aura. Far from the clichés of the inaccessible Parisian—like her character Sylvie Grateau in Emily in Paris —Philippine exudes kindness, but above all, a freshness of life. Perhaps it’s due to her dual Franco-Italian culture, to a certain sense of dolce vita that she embodies—and that she generously transmits to us, probably without even realizing it. No wonder L’Oréal Paris chose her to become its latest ambassador. Philippine is whole. Her heart is beautiful. She frees herself from codes, from beauty standards, while she advocates profoundly human values, of respect, and of living together. Let’s meet.
Credits: Courtesy of L’Oréal Paris
L’OFFICIEL What values do you share with L’Oréal Paris?
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu: First of all, the high standards. The fact that L’Oréal Paris stands alongside women. And I share their commitments, such as the fight against violence against women.
LO: You’re joining a prestigious roster of ambassadors, all representing a certain vision of beauty—from Kendall Jenner to Jane Fonda, Camila Cabello , Leila Bekhti, and Eva Longoria . What were your thoughts when you learned you were going to be part of this big family?
PLB: I was very surprised to be offered it, but also very happy at the idea of being able to share experiences — both with the ambassadors and with the people.
LO: Why is it important to celebrate sisterhood, which the L’Oréal Paris muses embody so wonderfully?
PLB: Sisterhood is a very fashionable word. If it means that we stop competing with each other, that’s perfect. If we all pretend to be friends, it doesn’t mean anything. I’m very careful about the false pretenses around the words we use, which are sometimes meaningless. What is true is that the feminine is very multiple, that it needs the masculine. I’m thinking of sisterhood, but above all of living together, and even fraternity. We have to work hand in hand. And the feminine has a lot to contribute. We always try to push the envelope a little further to make things happen, to redress injustices. It’s very important to talk about it.
LO: “We’re worth it” is L’Oréal Paris’s manifesto slogan, for beauty that transcends the boundaries of age and appearance. How are you experiencing your own beauty in 2025?
PLB: I don’t really think about it! (Laughs) I try not to look at myself, or only in a very professional way. In my daily life, it’s not a question I ask myself. Beauty is what we are capable of giving. It has nothing to do with features, lines. When we give beauty, we give joy, we regenerate others. Today, that’s what we need: to regenerate each other through each other.
Credits: Courtesy of L’Oréal Paris
LO: How have you seen the fashion, beauty, and film industries evolve with respect to a woman’s age?
PLB: We’ve come a long way, but it’s still superficial. We still talk too much about appearances. We can go even further.
LO: Why is it important to continue this celebration of women, regardless of their age?
PLB: I have a relationship with age that may seem odd because I’m not at all obsessed with it. Life is a constant evolution, regardless of age. I see that we’re giving more room to a certain diversity in many things, but we remain quite cruel in “real life”—meaning in everyday life, outside of film, television, or media sets. It’s important to remember that older people, who have a lot of experience, have a lot to tell. They’re not necessarily the faces of L’Oréal Paris. But also the people on the street. They are living treasures; we must respect them and celebrate them.
LO: Your character, Sylvie Grateau, in Emily in Paris is considered a cult classic, almost stealing the show from the main character. Her looks, her attitude, her liberated femininity… Who did you model yourself after to play her?
PLB: I was inspired by people who gravitated around my mother when she worked in fashion. I also borrowed a few little things from my mother! (Laughs) Not to mention that I have a great costume designer, Marylin Fitoussi, and Darren Star who has a fabulous view of women. He’s a man who talks about women in a complete way, he gives them qualities that we would usually only give to men. It’s very enjoyable to put myself in the situations he puts me in. As an anecdote, I was a tomboy for a very long time, and in what Darren offers us there is this all-terrain side, of multiple women, who have a lot of depth… To come back to Sylvie, that’s how we create characters: by surrounding ourselves with angels like them, Darren and my loved ones. On our own we do nothing, we need others.
LO: Do you have any icons that have always inspired you?
PLB: My mother, my grandmother, and my daughter also inspire me today… I think of my family because there’s no need to look further than those around us. We have a lot to learn from them.
LO: By joining the L’Oréal Paris family, what do you hope to convey to those who will see you embody the brand, embody a certain idea of beauty, embody committed messages?
PLB: I hope that together, all of us—not just me—we can give things more depth, more freedom. That we can pigeonhole ourselves less, each other, and sometimes even alone. That we can be more nuanced, that we can stop being superficial. Depth is a quality that, in my opinion, is truly precious and very enjoyable.