French President Emmanuel Macron Honors ‘Emily in Paris’ Creator Darren Star With Legion of Honor (EXCLUSIVE)

French President Emmanuel Macron has given the prestigious Legion of Honor to Darren Star, the creator of “Emily in Paris.”

Star was named Knight of the Legion of Honor today during an intimate ceremony attended by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, among others. Even before he made “Emily in Paris,” Star was already famous in France for having delivered many iconic shows from the 1990s, notably “Sex and the City,” “Melrose Place” and “Beverly Hills 90210.”

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Macron, whose wife Brigitte had a cameo in Season 4 of “Emily in Paris,” spoke to Variety about his love for the show, praising it for highlighting France’s soft power and the finest things that the country has to offer. He also pledged to “fight hard” to make sure the show will remain in Paris when he found out Season 5 was going to take place in Rome. “’Emily in Paris’ in Rome doesn‘t make sense,” Macron had said, sparking a feud with the mayor of Rome. As Macron pointed out in his speech, as much as “38% of tourists mentioned the series as one of their motivations for coming to Paris,” according to last year’s report from the National Film Board (CNC).

In his speech today, Macron also called Star an “exceptional showrunner. A creator of iconic shows that make millions of viewers laugh, dream and even understand themselves a little better.”

The French president said the show depicts Emily falling in love with Paris, “despite the cultural clashes you portray with such wit, the touch of French arrogance you manage to make charming and those language quirks that never fail to challenge beginners.”

Macron also paid tribute to Sarandos, who has been an ally on several fronts. Sarandos took part earlier this year in Macron’s summit, Choose France, which is dedicated to promoting the country’s attractiveness to draw investments.

“I would like to salute Ted Sarandos, who is with us today and who has helped make your creation such a success. And all the show’s team, the director, French and American actors in the casting,” Macron said, pointing out that the total viewing time that “Emily in Paris” has generated on Netflix since 2023 amounts to “1 billion hours.”

He said Star “made this series your love letter to France,” adding: “You, who always dreamt of living in Paris. You, who share with Emily a love for our architecture, our history, our fashion, our gastronomy.”

“You make France shine across the world. In every episode signed Darren Star, the City of Light sparkles — as do Champagne, Normandy, the Riviera and the Alps — making these places come alive just as vividly as the characters on screen,” Macron added.

Star will be attending the premiere for Season 5 of the show tonight in Paris, alongside the beloved cast including Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Lucien Laviscount, Eugenio Franceschini and Minnie Driver.

Other Hollywood figures who have been inducted Knights of the Legion of Honor include Tom Cruise and Denis Villeneuve.