For fans of Emily In Paris, we can't get enough of all the stylish glamor and messy romantic drama that the show has to offer. While we wait for more episodes to be released on Netflix, another French show, a true French show, provides a lot of what Emily in Paris does and more. The French comedy-drama Call My Agent! defies cultural boundaries, and even lived through its own moment as an international television sensation.
The show, known as Dix pour cent ("Ten Percent") in France, follows the daily lives and careers of a group of talent agents at the fictional agency ASK as they navigate the world of managing celebrities and office dynamics. French and international celebrity cameos feature heavily in the series, while all the office intrigue and romance is heightened by the sophisticated French cast. A lot of the glamor that is seen in Emily in Paris, can be found in abundance in Call My Agent!, but with a French authenticity that Emily in Paris is incapable of replicating.
‘Call My Agent!’ Features a Fantastique Cast of Characters 
The best thing about Call My Agent! is its superb cast that features a lot of different personalities, each so unique that it gives the show a lot of rich material to explore. The breakout star of the show is Camille Cottin, who plays talent agent Andréa Martel. Andréa is initially a selfish womanizer who does her best to shun the idea of monogamy. She later becomes a devoted working mother in a long-term relationship, but not just as a flippant development for the character. She remains true to herself throughout it all — with the elegance, sophistication, and professional drive she displays from the start of the series. This is not at all a story of a woman finding bliss in domestic life, but rather a story of a woman taking charge of her life to get what she wants, no matter her circ*mstances. She’s multi-faceted — smart, elegant, ambitious, driven, cynical, yet romantic. She’s one of the most well-rounded female characters on television, and Camille Cottin’s portrayal does her justice.
Also in the cast is Thibault de Montalembert as Mathias Barneville, the other dominant agent at ASK and Andréa’s main professional rival. His personal life gets very much intertwined with his work as he inadvertently brings in his long-lost daughter, Camille (Fanny Sidney), to work as Andréa’s assistant at the agency, all the while keeping their familial relationship secret. Fans of Emily In Paris may notice a familiar face in Mathias’ circle, as the actress who plays Sylvie Grateau herself (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) has a recurring role as Mathias’ wife, Catherine.
Gabriel Sarda (Grégory Montel) is the sensitive one at the agency, providing a lot of the heart of the show. His friendship with Andréa is refreshing, and his romance with receptionist Sofia (Stéfi Celma) is endearing. Even though his arc feels less intensely dramatic than Andréa’s or Mathias’, it’s no less impactful in the series as a whole.
Then there is the wonderful Liliane Rovère as longtime agent Arlette Azémar, who always has her beloved dog, Jean Gabin, in tow. Fans of Emily in Paris may recognize the legendary French figure as Sylvie Grateau’s mother. Still, here she plays a more quirky character with many years' worth of personal and professional anecdotes to share. Much of the inspiration for Arlette’s backstory comes from the actress' real life, which is endlessly fascinating.
Another beloved character is Nicolas Maury as Gabriel's assistant, Hervé. He often acts as comic relief, as he powers through his jealousy and pettiness to further his career as an agent and an actor. He interacts most with Camille, and also Mathias’ assistant, Noémie (Laure Calamy). While the main agents of ASK have their own interwoven professional dramas, each of their assistants also has theirs. It’s just layers upon layers of delicious drama.
Related
This ‘Emily In Paris’ Character Deserves Their Own Spin-Off
Fierce, independent, glamorous, and captivating — this character needs the spotlight!
1
Professional and Personal Lives Intertwine for High Drama at The ASK Agency
With all of these fantastically fleshed out characters, played by charismatic and sophisticated French actors, it’s no wonder that the soapy intrigue of Call My Agent! is fascinating. The agents of ASK are brought together after their boss tragically dies by accidentally choking on a wasp, and they are forced to co-manage the film talent agency together. Clearly, their former boss was the glue holding the agency together, as this group is at odds without him — their personality differences and intertwining professional relationships lead to some high drama. The characters each take turns in the role of the series' villain or hero, as the colleague conflicts endures for four seasons.
The agents of ASK lie, cheat, and backstab to get their way, all in the name of doing it for their clients and their love of cinema. Even with big-name guest stars, it’s the agents’ rivalries that is at the forefront of the show, as they try to not only sustain their troubled agency through financial and legal difficulties but also fight each other for power. Despite sacrificing much of their personal lives for their careers, it still seems to infringe on their daily professional endeavors.
The interoffice rivalries are two-tier — while the agents have all of their bickering to keep them occupied, their assistants have their own drama to contend with as well. Noémie is having an affair with her married boss, Mathias, Camille is secretly his daughter, and Hervé has a lot of emotions over it all, as he really wishes he was either an agent or an actor rather than an assistant. Even Arlette’s dog, Jean Gabin, gets in on some dramatic action. It’s endless drama, all of the time, and it’s enthralling.
‘Call My Agent!’ Features A-List French Film Stars
Call My Agent! is elevated by its French sensibility throughout. Set against the backdrop of both Paris and the French film industry, there is a lot of opportunity to show off the chic Parisian style. The characters mingle with real French movie stars, attend film sets, industry parties, Cannes Film Festival, and the César Awards. Though they all work very hard as talent agents, these characters never miss an opportunity to seek out the glossier aspects of their jobs.
With all of the glamor, drama, and intrigue of Call My Agent!, the show never lets its audience forget that its foundation is built upon satire. The endless array of celebrity guests brings this point home, episode after episode. The crème de la crème of French film stars feature regularly, and not in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos — each actor is more like a guest star in their episode, featuring heavily in the plot. It all works wonderfully because these huge stars are in on the joke, happy to make fun of the film industry and themselves.
The agents seem to have at least one major professional crisis per episode, usually involving their celebrity guest. Some of the big-name highlights and stories include Juliette Binoche, who finds herself in crisis at Cannes. There is Monica Bellucci, who parodies her status as one of the most beautiful women in the world, as she needs her agent’s help to meet a normal guy to date. Charlotte Gainsbourg has some trouble getting out of a bad sci-fi film, and after trying various excuses, she actually ends up slipping on a banana peel in an ironic slapstick moment. Isabelle Huppert also strays into slapstick as she juggles too many roles at one time, needing to be smuggled from set to set to get away with it. Jean Dujardin hilariously struggles to break character from his last role as a feral man of the wilderness. Even Sigourney Weaver lends her Hollywood status to the show, impressively speaking French and flipping misogyny and ageism on its head. As if all this wasn't good enough already, the show also often touches upon how hard it is for women in the industry, through its guest stars and star agent Andréa. Not unlike some of the better aspects of Emily in Paris that feature Sylvie Grateau.
There is so much to love about Call My Agent!, four seasons feel hardly like enough — there has been talk of a fifth season and a movie spin-off, but these have yet to come to fruition. With how successful and excellent the show is, it's no wonder other countries have tried to remake their own versions, albeit with much less success. With its French sensibility, chic glamor, fantastic cast, cameos, and soapy intrigue, Call My Agent! isn’t just Emily In Paris without Emily — it’s one of the best comedy-drama exports on television.
Call My Agent! is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
