luxury locations issue 21

Tourist Board can only dream of. Ask him which is his favourite beach however and he’s staying schtum. Jolly and Darkwood are “beautiful” but there’s one a little more hidden that tops them both. “I’m keeping that one in my back pocket,” he laughs. His preferred eateries are lowkey – a tiny roti hut, and rustic seafood and rum haunt Papa Zouk. “There are such great little gems on the island,” Lucien says, adding that his own home cookouts could give them a run for their money. “My barbecue jerk chicken will light up your life,” he smiles. Whether Lucien’s character ‘Alfie’ will return to Netflix hit ‘Emily in Paris’ when season four hits the screen later this year remains to be seen. Fans will recall a broken-hearted Alfie walking out in the final episode of season three after it was revealed his girlfriend, the show’s titular character, was secretly in love with straight- laced chef Gabriel. Last December, Antiguans were treated to an early preview of the most recent season shortly before its global release. Guests invited to the exclusive launch seized the chance to watch the first two episodes at a special event at Barnacle Point. The American romantic comedy-drama propelled Lucien to worldwide stardom when he made his first appearance in season

two in December 2021.

Lucien professionally, there are some things firmly within his control. One is to introduce a “whole train” of friends to Antigua, “to show them part of who I am”. Another is a plan to build a media school on the island to give a leg-up to local kids who may never get the serendipitous break he did. “I’ve got some friends who really want to invest with us and make it a hub of the West Indies. It’s a way of giving back and give kids an opportunity to jump in with the likes of everywhere else in the world and make sure they have a head start,” he explains.

British audiences however may remember him as far back as 2007 when he had a role in seminal teen drama ‘Grange Hill’. Lucien also appeared in iconic British soap ‘Coronation Street’ in 2009, in BBC One’s ‘Waterloo Road’ series a year later, and also ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in 2011. In 2015, he earned a prime US role, playing Earl Grey in Fox’s horror comedy ‘Scream Queens’. Earlier this year, there was rampant speculation that Lucien was in the running to be the next James Bond, a position left vacant by the 2021 departure of Daniel Craig. What is confirmed is a lead role in upcoming rom-com movie ‘This Time Next Year’, adapted from Sophie Cousens’ novel of the same name. Lucien will play Quinn, opposite ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ actress Sophie Cookson as his love interest Minnie. The film tells the story of Minnie and Quinn who are born in London on New Year’s Day, in the same hospital, one minute apart. Thirty years later – and very different people – they find themselves thrown together again in the same city on New Year’s Eve. It is being directed by Nick Moore, editor of British hit comedies ‘Love Actually’, ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘The Full Monty’. Asked about his ultimate goals, Lucien says he’s reluctant to “put any boundaries” on his work. “I want to do some more action, some more comedy. I want to keep learning and be the best actor I can be,” he imparts. He concedes that an acting career is a road fraught with bumps and obstacles. To anyone thinking of pursuing it, he advises “finding happiness in everything else but acting”. “It’s a torturous road filled with ‘noes’. The highs feel so high but the lows also feel really low. Be prepared that there will be more noes than yeses. “But there’s nothing to really attain, there’s no end goal and that’s the beautiful thing,” he continues. “As the world changes there will be more stories to tell, so don’t give up.” Regardless of what the future holds for

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