As Emily in Paris fans find themselves intrigued by Mindy and Alfie’s season 5 story line, Ashley Park is opening up about how the show continues to surprise her.
Park, 34, spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about her partnership with Planet Oat to celebrate the brand’s newest White Chocolate Raspberry Oatmilk Creamer inspired by Emily in Paris on the same day that Netflix dropped the official trailer for the hit series’ upcoming season.
“They just came out with the [first look] photos and the trailer. Now I get to talk about Emily in Paris and Planet Oat, which is something I love,” she told Us. “This is fun, but there’s a lot [fans can expect when the season is out].”
Park remained tight-lipped about how the story will play out on screen but teased “there’s a lot of context” that will be provided once season 5 drops on December 18.
“What’s fun though is this feels like it came out of left field, but also, Lucien [Laviscount] is one of my best friends on the show,” she noted. “So we were always laughing about how we love hanging out, but we don’t have scenes together. It made it really fun this year.”
The sneak peek, which premiered earlier this month, showed the aftermath of Emily (Lily Collins) moving on with Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini) in Rome while Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) was still pining over her. But it was fan favorite Mindy that had Us abuzz with her return to Paris – and her very friendly moments with Alfie (Laviscount).
“I would say that the show keeps surprising me. I did not see Mindy’s story lines in season 5 coming. Even with the first photos from the season being released, I’m remembering all the stuff we did,” Park shared. “I feel like I got to be in eight different genres of shows all in one. What else could you ask for? So I never know what to expect.”
She continued: “I’ve just really stopped expecting. But also when we’re going to Venice for two weeks to film, it feels like such a pinch-me moment. They really keep us on her toes.”
Before Netflix offered a glimpse at season 5, Park promised “the best is yet to come” for fans of the show.
“Coming into season 5 that we’re about to release, it’s been over half a decade [since the show debuted],” Park teased in an interview last month. “Me and Lily were just talking about that the other day. We’ve known each other for half a decade and it’s interesting to step into the shoes of a character where it’s a couple days later but you’ve grown as a person six months to a year [between seasons].”
Park gushed about her experience on Emily in Paris, saying, “This show has completely changed my life in terms of the pathways and the conversations I get to be a part of. I get to have conversations with people around the world because of Netflix being global. I’m very grateful.”
In celebration of the show’s fifth season, Park got to channel her love for the show with a Planet Oat partnership tied to a limited-edition creamer. Planet Oat White Chocolate Raspberry Oatmilk Creamer pulls inspiration from Emily in Paris for their new product, which is infused with the flavors of creamy white chocolate and bright, tart raspberry.
“I’m a huge white chocolate lover — and also a raspberry lover. I feel like my love for raspberry really came to fruition when I went to Paris for the first time. They have just the best berries,” Park said. “Those berries are next level. I have also loved Planet Oat.”
Timed to the release of Season 5 on December 18, Planet Oat will pop up at L’Appartement 4F in Brooklyn to spotlight the new White Chocolate Raspberry Creamer. Guests will enjoy exclusive signature menu items — including The Raspberet Latte and The Raspberet Croissant — inspired by the series’ Parisian setting and crafted to highlight the new creamer.
As a fan of oat milk, Park is excited for the chance to up her coffee game.
“As a singer, I’ve always gone for non-dairy milk. Planet Oat have all these flavors and my favorite thing with these creamers is how it just makes my coffee taste better. Because I used to drink coffee black and then I discovered oat milk creamers,” she added. “I was like, ‘Oh, this can taste lovely.’”
Planet Oat’s White Chocolate Raspberry Oatmilk Creamer will be available in stores coinciding with Emily in Paris‘ return on Thursday, December 18.
