Will Poulter quite literally begged to be in The Bear season 2.
"I called them. I literally begged to be in the show. I asked if I could meet with [creator] Chris Storer and basically communicated that I was such a fan of so much of his work, but especially The Bear," Poulter told Variety. “He was kind enough to gift me with the offer to play Luca and it really changed my life, to be honest."
Poulter first appears in episode four as Luca, a Copenhagen-based chef determined to train Marcus (Lionel Boyce) before The Bear's official opening. Prior to filming, the actor trained with the show's culinary producer Courtney Storer and was put to work in three London restaurants – Black Axe Mangal, St. John, and Trullo.
Season 2 currently holds a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and became the most-watched season premiere in FX history.
"It kind of helped me realize a dream of playing a chef on TV. I have such an immense amount of respect for chefs and the women and men of that industry," Poulter continued. "I feel like the whole society stands on the shoulders of people in the food and beverage industry, and we don’t even necessarily really know it or think about it. They sustain us and maintain us daily and they don’t get enough thanks for what they do."
Poulter is set to star opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Diego Calva, and Sasha Calle in the upcoming drama On Swift Horses, directed by Daniel Minahan.
The Bear season 2 is now streaming on Hulu in the US and will arrive on Disney+ in the UK on July 19. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows in 2023 and beyond.
