Let Omar Sy Explain Why You Need to Watch “Lupin” on Netflix

“I think Lupin is the ideal character for an actor,” Omar Sy says in this new video from Netflix, titled “The Multiple Faces of Assane Diop.” Sy’s character, Assane Diop, is a gentleman thief. Inspired by the adventures of the titular Arsène Lupin, a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created by the French writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905, the new Netflix series boasts a stellar cast and crew. It just might be your next binge. But don’t take our word for it—let the charming, talented Sy explain why Lupin is a series worth your time, and why it’s about a lot more than getting away with the perfect crime.

For an actor of Sy’s skills (if you haven’t seen him in the magnificent The Intouchables, we highly recommend you watch that, soon) playing a thief who’s a master of disguises has obvious appeal. It offers you the ability to take on multiple roles in a single series, and, let’s be honest, it allows you to live out the fantasy of being a gentleman thief, elegant, sophisticated, and several steps ahead of the law. As Sy explains, however, the Lupin made famous by Leblanc’s stories utilized costumes and makeup to change his appearance. In Lupin, Sy explains that all it takes is for his Assane Diop to disappear is for him to inject himself into a social stratum where he wouldn’t normally “belong.”

Series creator and screenwriter George Kay explains that he wanted to try to find disguises that Sy’s character could wear that would allow him to hide in plain sight, “based on our societal prejudices.” So, for example, if you’re going to rob the Louvre, “maybe you should do it from a job that people may not be paying as much attention to.” Say, as a janitor.

As you can see, there’s a lot more going on in Lupin than your typical classy cat burglar tale. This theme of invisibility is one of the many intriguing elements of the series. With a performer of Sy’s considerable charisma, Lupin promises to do more than just show us how his character pulls off a great heist.

Lupin is streaming on Netflix now. Check out the video below:

Here’s the synopsis:

As a teenager, Assane Diop’s life was turned upside down when his father died after being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. 25 years later, Assane will use “Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar” as his inspiration to avenge his father.

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Featured image: Omay Sy is ‘Lupin.’ Courtesy Netflix.