Podcast Summary: Therapuss with Jake Shane

Session 114: Thomas Doherty

Date: April 4, 2026
Guest: Thomas Doherty (Star of "Paradise" Season 2, "Gossip Girl" reboot, "Tell Me Lies")
Host: Jake Shane
Special Guest Host for Intro: Will Hunt

Overview

In this warm, deeply introspective, and characteristically playful episode of "Therapuss," Jake Shane sits down with Scottish actor Thomas Doherty for an authentic, often hilarious, and revealing therapy-adjacent conversation. The discussion weaves through Thomas's acting journey, the realities of adulthood and validation, creative life in the entertainment industry, and existential questions about self-worth, all while fielding real listener "Tell Me What's Wrong" dilemmas.

Table of Contents

1. Catch Up & Friendship Dynamics (00:16–03:54)
2. Origins & Acting Chat (03:54–06:34)
3. On "Paradise," Press, and Theories (06:34–09:44)
4. Life in Scotland & Growing Up (09:44–13:40)
5. Jobs and Early Hustles (13:40–16:24)
6. Theater vs TV: Creative Differences (16:24–21:03)
7. Authenticity, Ego, Validation: The Deep Dive (21:03–49:00)
8. Religion, Family, and Belonging (49:00–53:39)
9. Audience Dilemmas: “Tell Me What’s Wrong” (53:39–62:22)
10. On Happiness, Contentment & Paradoxes (62:22–73:26)
11. Takeaways & Reflections (73:26–End)

Catch Up & Friendship Dynamics (00:16–03:54)

• The episode begins with playful banter between Jake (with Will Hunt guest-hosting the intro) and Thomas.
• Will and Thomas discuss the challenges of maintaining adult friendships ("adult friendships require grace, but not too much grace" – Will Hunt, 01:05).
• Music talk: Will shares new releases, favorite artists, and Jake praises Will’s ability to recommend music (“My favorite thing in the world is listening to music in Will's car.” – Jake, 02:54).
• Scene is set for an episode about connection, career, and personal evolution.

Origins & Acting Chat (03:54–06:34)

• The friends reminisce about their first meeting at a Tommy Hilfiger show and their New York nights out.
• Thomas reflects on being in Jake’s favorite show and playful mispronunciation moments.
• Jake praises Thomas in "Paradise" Season 2 and shares he finds it superior to Season 1.

On "Paradise," Press, and Theories (06:34–09:44)

• Jake proposes theories about time travel and character identities in "Paradise."
• Thomas hints at the complexity and secretiveness of the show:
  “That’s why it’s really hard to do press on it, because there's so many flashbacks, flash forwards... even some of the cast don't know what's happening.” (05:23)
• Music in TV: Thomas and Will reflect on the soundtrack quality.
• Thomas reveals he sang in "Little Shop of Horrors," not "Rocky Horror" and shares his passion for musical theater.

Life in Scotland & Growing Up (09:44–13:40)

• Thomas describes his Scottish upbringing:
  “People always ask me this. I have nothing to compare it to, but it was good.” (06:36)
• Jake and Thomas riff on their respective hometowns—New York and Scotland.
• Thomas shares his experience moving between Edinburgh, London, and LA in pursuit of acting.

Jobs and Early Hustles (13:40–16:24)

• Thomas recounts his early jobs as a maid and waiter:
  “They would all just laugh at me because they thought it was hysterical that you were like 17-year-old kid cleaning people's rooms...” (13:32)
• Anecdotes about napping in guest beds while cleaning, eating food as a waiter.
• Will asks about “craziest stories” from those days—Thomas’s answer is humble:
  “Honestly, nothing really. It was a nice old hotel, people are quite boring.” (15:46)

Theater vs TV: Creative Differences (16:24–21:03)

• Thomas compares acting mediums:
  “With film and TV it's more you sign up for a lifestyle... I love being on film set and I love kind of traveling around the world to different locations to film.” (08:40)
• Shares his love for the structure and lifestyle of film, but expresses deep respect and passion for theater.
• Affirms that theater is “the best practice for any acting” and wants to return, especially to play roles.

Authenticity, Ego, Validation: The Deep Dive (21:03–49:00)

On Career Growth and Creative Agency

• Thomas feels "Paradise" marks a career turning point:
  “Definitely feels like the turning point for me... having a little bit more of a creative voice with things.” (17:34)
• On working with acting greats like Shailene Woodley, Sterling K. Brown:
  “They weren’t trying to perform and be like, ‘I’m an actor’... it was confidence and knowing that they had.” (18:52)

On Authenticity and Compromise

• Jake and Thomas get philosophical on authenticity—Thomas explains the danger of seeking validation or molding oneself for others:
  “Sometimes in your career, you’re equating fame and public acknowledgment for success, but it’s not necessarily... fulfilling.” (20:02)

• Personal example:
  “I was with this girl... she liked guys with gold jewelry... I like silver... I compromised what was authentic to me so that she would like me.” (27:47)

On the Ego

• Explores the nature of ego and validation:
  “No matter how much I got, no matter how much I tried, it was never filling me.” (33:28)
• Thomas shares about losing himself, recognizing he was “hypervigilant to [his] surroundings… never properly developed a sense of Thomas.” (33:36)
• Finds stability and acceptance through acting:
  “Luckily I love acting so much, so I can always go back to that… develop this sense of self and self-acceptance and self-love.” (34:17)
• Jake and Thomas discuss meditation and the value of sitting with discomfort and not chasing happiness in external validation.

On Surrendering Control

• Thomas:
  “You surrender to the thing that’s greater than you, which is also you… something happens and there’s just this ease to life.” (48:14)
• Warns of the ego’s return at moments of success, advocating constant vigilance and the value of meditation.

Notable Quote

• “The paradox of life: You search for happiness, you can’t find it. You stop searching—happiness is there. I'm really into paradoxes of life right now.” (45:32)

Religion, Family, and Belonging (49:00–53:39)

• Jake and Thomas discuss their religious upbringings—Jake is culturally Jewish, Thomas raised Catholic in a Protestant country.
• Thomas on his 101-year-old grandmother and generational quirks.
• Humor around family, smoking, and health.
• Openness about giving up smoking and vaping, turning more health-focused as Thomas entered his 30s.
• They riff on "drinking water" and healthy habits.

Audience Dilemmas: “Tell Me What’s Wrong” (53:39–62:22)

A rapid-fire session fielding real-life listener questions—both practical and existential, with signature humor and empathy.

Selected Dilemmas

• Boyfriend won’t let listener in after delayed flight:
  Jake: “Break up with him. That’s horrible.” (53:57)

• Partner’s mother leaves passive-aggressive Instagram comments:
  Thomas: “I’d double down just to piss her off even more.” (55:37)

• Long-term boyfriend wants kids before marriage:
  “I think it’s reasonable before kids… on a practical level, you do it for the child.” (56:43)

• Roommate gets handjobs during movie night:
  “I’d be like, ‘Hey, by the way… we all know you’re getting a handjob, and it is just, like, super confusing. You need to stop, period’.” (58:59)

• Imposter syndrome and unconventional careers:
  Jake: “It doesn't feel right because I came up on an app that isn't in that field… The merging of those two makes me feel weird, even though it’s what I’ve always wanted.” (60:25)

• Always feeling the need to do more:
  Thomas reveals he uses a gratitude journal and meditation practices to stay grounded (68:19).

On Happiness, Contentment & Paradoxes (62:22–73:26)

• The group discusses fear of happiness and finding peace instead.
• Will introduces Kacey Musgraves’s song “Happy & Sad” as a metaphor for the anxiety of letting oneself be happy.
• Thomas quotes his older friend:
  “He doesn’t look for happiness, just looks for peace… If you search for happiness, you can’t find it; you stop—happiness is there.” (45:32)
• Thomas shares his daily routine: transcendental meditation and gratitude journaling. “You’re not forcing anything. You're not trying to achieve a certain state. You're just trying to be honest with where you are.” (70:28)
• On negative emotions: “Negative emotions are always trying to tell you something. If you try and get away from them, you’re never going to learn what you need to learn.” (71:14)

Takeaways & Reflections (73:26–End)

• Jake: “I need to stop letting the idea that bad things are going to happen stop me from being happy... I need to find peace in the fact that they are going to happen and allow myself to experience joy.” (71:54)
• Thomas:
  “I reaffirmed a lot of things... I'm very much in a process as well. And people are just at different stages in their process... If you fall in love with who you are and accept the good and the bad... everything else will take care of itself rather than trying to fix everything individually.” (73:40)
• Both exchange mutual admiration and friendship.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I always felt like I had to be quiet and listen and learn. But now, I definitely feel like I can have that creative voice.” – Thomas (17:54)
• “You compromise your authenticity for attachment—which is very unhealthy.” – Thomas on relationships (26:55)
• “I realize now I couldn’t have been a publicist because I want to be the star.” – Jake (16:41)
• "The culture on set is derived from the showrunner, and Dan Fogelman is an incredible human." – Thomas (36:55)
• “Gratitude is the antidote to resentment and wanting more.” – Thomas (68:19)
• “Letting yourself feel good doesn't prevent the bad, so don't withhold happiness from yourself.” – Thomas (73:41)
• “You fall in love with who you are; you accept the good and the bad and everything else will just take care of itself instead of individually trying to fix everything.” – Thomas (73:26)

Final Thoughts

This session is a masterclass in self-reflection, bursting with vulnerability, humor, and wisdom. Both Thomas and Jake (with Will) explore the intersections of self-worth, professional ambition, artistic growth, and authentic living—all while treating even heavy subjects with generosity and lightness.

The episode is a must-listen (or must-read, thanks to this summary!) for anyone interested in the emotional realities of creative careers, the journey to self-acceptance, and the hilarious messiness of being human.

End of Summary