Session 114: Thomas Doherty

Summary

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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

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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).

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Thomas Doherty]

So good, so good, so good.

[Will Hunt]

New spring arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack stores. Now get ready to save big with up to 60% off rag and bone, Marc Jacobs, free people and more. How did I not know Rack has Adidas?

[Thomas Doherty]

Cause there's always something new.

[Will Hunt]

Join the Norty Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack. Hi. Surprise. Welcome back to Therapists. Today we have on Thomas Doherty, star of season two of Paradise. He was also in the Gossip Girl reboot and Tell me Lies, and he is also a very good friend. But for the intro today, we have my dear friend, Will Hunt. Hi. Hi, everybody.

[Thomas Doherty]

Are you serious?

[Will Hunt]

Will and I have discovered that adult friendships require grace. And Will, but not too much grace, let me tell you. What do you mean? Grace can only go so far. Will and I haven't seen each other in about three months. Yeah, it's been a little. Well, he's been writing. You've been writing in Nashville?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yes, I have.

[Will Hunt]

I've done some sessions. Will's new song, Worth fighting For, is out now. You should all stream it. It's amazing. Any other life updates from you? Not really. A little southern bale, and we've got a lot to cover, baby. Like what? I don't know. I haven't seen you in a minute, so is this a little awkward or what? Do you have any questions for me? No, I feel like we've covered a lot of the bases. Yeah, I agree. You don't watch Paradise? No, but I. I need to start. Did you watch season one? I did, yes. Well, it's amazing. Season two is amazing. Okay, well, I'm gonna start it tonight. Are you working any. Any new music? Currently I am, yes. So any songs you're excited about? Yeah, there's one called Tennessee at 17, and I think it's going to be good. Ooh, Tennessee at 17. You love country music. Will always puts me on to good music. You put me on to Devon again. You put me on. So incredible. You also put me on to Carter Faith. Oh, I am obsessed with. And you put me on to that. What's that song? It's like, very Americana. Yeah, I have no idea. Ah, it's. It's. It's like I'm American dream man. Oh, Sierra Farrell.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

She's incredible. Yes. And she plays her own instruments. It's insane. Yeah, Will, she's one of the best live performances. So who do you. Who should we put on right now? Besides you. Oh, my gosh. That's a really good question. Who is. Who are you? Who do you have your eye on? Well, who are. What are you listening to?

[Thomas Doherty]

Grace Ives.

[Will Hunt]

Grace Ives.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Your new album is phenomenal. Okay. Grace Ives. The production's insane. I think she's brilliant. Sarah Kinsley. Sarah Kinsley's. You put me on to Sarah Kinsley. You put me onto everything. My favorite thing in the world is listening to music in Will's car. Oh, Jake. I do. I miss that. Well, I have, like. Well, I haven't been here. I get that. We're seeing project Hail Mary on Thursday. I'm really excited for that. Yeah. Have you seen it?

[Thomas Doherty]

Twice. So good.

[Will Hunt]

Twice. Oh, it's one of those.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

What's it about, though? I don't. Honestly. No.

[Thomas Doherty]

Go in blind, though. Going blind. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, it'll be fun. Okay. Yeah. I'm excited. Okay. Well, Will. I love you, Thomas. I love you. Enjoy the episode. I love you guys. Hi, welcome back to Therapist. Well, it's just another day in paradise because we have Thomas Doherty. We have Thomas Doherty on the podcast, and I. It's Doherty, Doherty, Doherty. My first question to you was, we are actually old friends.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yes. We go way back.

[Will Hunt]

So how.

[Thomas Doherty]

We were meant to do this last year.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. But how did we become friends? Because I forget. Everyone kept asking me, and I kept saying, I don't know.

[Thomas Doherty]

We were met at the Tommy Hilfiger show, and I. And I came up to you, and I was like, oh, my God. You did? Yeah, he did.

[Will Hunt]

I was so gagged. I was like, wait, hi. And then we became friends, and then you came to my New York show. We went out, we had a night.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

What?

[Thomas Doherty]

That's what we were doing the whole night.

[Will Hunt]

The whole night. Well, you're in my favorite show on television.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I know. You told me. How are you finding season two?

[Will Hunt]

I think season two. I'm not even just saying this because you're in it. I think it's better than season one.

[Thomas Doherty]

How was it starting on the outside of the bunker. Like, was that quite jarring? Okay.

[Will Hunt]

I was upset. I missed the b. Yeah. You know, I missed the bunker. And I. I was like, a little. I was. I don't know. I was like, not. I'm sorry. I will just like to acknowledge how poorly that joke landed. Like, I really need to just, like, get. Get that.

[Thomas Doherty]

What you were saying.

[Will Hunt]

Unfortunately, she knew. Unfortunately, she knew. She knew. And I just, like. I couldn't get through my next sentence without, like, acknowledging how Bad that was. So now that we've gotten that. That out of the way, I did miss the bunker. Okay. I did miss the bunker. I'm very happy for James Marsden.

[Thomas Doherty]

I never worked with James, but he was always on set.

[Will Hunt]

I'm so happy he wasn't, like, killed off, like, forever. Forever.

[Thomas Doherty]

You know, that's an amazing thing that Dan does as well. Do you know that's. That's why it's really hard to do press on it, because there's so many flashbacks, flash forwards. Like, you don't really know. You don't really know what's happening. Like, even some of the cast don't know what's happening.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. Can I give you my theory?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Obviously, we're getting involved with time travel. Yes, we are. I think that you are Sinatra's son that died. Yeah, I literally just crushed that. Am I right or am I right?

[Thomas Doherty]

I mean, it is actually a very, very good theory. See, the thing with all these theories, I see there's always, like, little bits of truth. I'm not saying that that is applicable.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, but that's.

[Thomas Doherty]

But there are little bits of truth in all of.

[Will Hunt]

But that's why she's hemorrhaging power.

[Thomas Doherty]

No, but how. How would I be her son then?

[Will Hunt]

I don't know.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay.

[Will Hunt]

I didn't read. I didn't actually read the theory myself, but I was told it.

[Thomas Doherty]

Someone told you.

[Will Hunt]

Yes.

[Thomas Doherty]

And then you took it for your.

[Will Hunt]

Yes. But you were that guy's little prodigy.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

How would you pronounce prodigy?

[Thomas Doherty]

Prodigy?

[Will Hunt]

Is it prodigy or prodigy? Protege.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. You can't ask a Scottish person how they pronounce something.

[Will Hunt]

What was it like growing up in Scotland?

[Thomas Doherty]

Well, people always ask me this. I have nothing to compare it to, but it was good. Yeah. Like, how is it growing up in America?

[Will Hunt]

Fine. See, I grew up in New York. Do you know that about me? I didn't actually know that I grew up uptown.

[Thomas Doherty]

Upper east or Upper West?

[Will Hunt]

Washington Heights?

[Thomas Doherty]

Washington Heights. Yeah. And then when did you go over

[Will Hunt]

to LA for usc?

[Thomas Doherty]

Ah, okay. In the state?

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, I stayed.

[Thomas Doherty]

Are you gonna come back to here?

[Will Hunt]

I just got a place.

[Thomas Doherty]

There's no way.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God. How happy are you? Yes, we can hang out all the time. Are you so excited? Yes. Are you so excited? No. It's gorging.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

So much room for us to hang out.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Well, we. Yes. Yes. You know. So what was it like working on Paradise? Oh, also, you want to know why I know there is time travel?

[Thomas Doherty]

You don't know that there's time travel.

[Will Hunt]

I do know that there's time travel. Okay. Okay. Alex, are you caught up to date? Okay, so obviously they wouldn't just cast Shaylee Woodley for four episodes of the show. So we better get to time traveling quick because there's only eight episodes.

[Thomas Doherty]

I can't confirm nor deny. How do you know she's in four episodes?

[Will Hunt]

I'm on the fourth and she just passed away.

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh yeah, that's very true.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah. So sad. What a great soundtrack too.

[Thomas Doherty]

Good soundtrack, great soundtrack. Me and she are going to try and like do a cover of an Elvis song, but we've never really got to it. I can sing a little bit.

[Will Hunt]

Did you sing in Rocky Horror?

[Thomas Doherty]

I've never been in Rocky Horror, but in Little Shop of Horror I did sing. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

So what's the difference between those two

[Thomas Doherty]

completely different musicals written by different people at different times and.

[Will Hunt]

But like what's the difference?

[Thomas Doherty]

What's the difference?

[Will Hunt]

Little Shop is about pet, like plants that come alive, right?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. So Little Shop is about a plant that comes to life.

[Will Hunt]

So what were you?

[Thomas Doherty]

I was a guy called Seymour. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was amazing. It was, it was really cool to go from paradise to then go into doing a musical.

[Will Hunt]

What's the difference?

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh God, it's so different. I mean I always feel like with film and TV it's more you sign up for a lifestyle. I suppose you do for. I like, I like, I like the lifestyle of a film.

[Will Hunt]

Like being on film, being on a film set. Why?

[Thomas Doherty]

I love being on film set and I love kind of traveling around the world to different locations to film. I also just love the like structure that's around a film set. With theater as you know, I, I do. It's like, I mean you have to go to the theater at 5 and so I suppose, yeah, you have the day up until 5, but I mean you don't get home until like 10:30 or adrenaline.

[Will Hunt]

So did you sign after?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I would sign after. So that takes time. I mean not as many people as you. How many people are there for you?

[Will Hunt]

Like on a night to night basis? I would say like 80 to 100 people.

[Thomas Doherty]

Should I be interviewing you? So what's it like being on Broadway?

[Will Hunt]

Well, it's amazing. I do, I did, I do eight shows a week. How many shows do. Do. Did you do. Would you do theater again?

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh my God, I can't wait to do theater again. I, yeah, I would love to do like a play. I just think it's the best practice for any acting is theater you know?

[Will Hunt]

Well, you said that when you. You didn't have a choice whether to be an actor or not.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, no choice.

[Will Hunt]

Why?

[Thomas Doherty]

I don't know. I mean, it's just like, I was gonna. I was gonna go to university to do history, but I was like. Like, who am I kidding? I can't think of doing.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God. Like, you want to be a history teacher.

[Thomas Doherty]

Not a history teacher, but, like, I don't even know what I wanted to do. I just loved history.

[Will Hunt]

By the way, I texted Thomas the other night. I FaceTimed him, and I was like, we. I'm about to go on a date tonight. I don't think it's gonna go well. Stay on your phone. We're going out. Right? Like, we are going out.

[Thomas Doherty]

And I stayed on my phone.

[Will Hunt]

I wrote in all caps, three times, do not bail. Do not bail. Do not bail three times.

[Thomas Doherty]

Who.

[Will Hunt]

Who do you think bailed?

[Thomas Doherty]

Because it wasn't fudgeing me.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, I bailed. And then he said. He said. Texted me at 3am me getting blown off is crazy.

[Thomas Doherty]

It wasn't even that late. It was like, 12.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah. And I said. I think I was.

[Thomas Doherty]

I didn't even respond until the next scene was like, I'm so sorry.

[Will Hunt]

But I would like to say, though, like, life is more colorful when you are, like, romantically involved with someone. Like, I'm in such a good mood today, and it's not gonna last.

[Thomas Doherty]

No, I don't think it will last.

[Will Hunt]

Love.

[Thomas Doherty]

You're some lust. What is your difference if you don't know the difference?

[Will Hunt]

Love and lust. Lust is like, I'm obsessed, right?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. You can, like, fall in love with people.

[Will Hunt]

Are you having fun?

[Thomas Doherty]

I am having fun. I'm still scared of what's gonna come out your mind.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, well, I have one last thing to ask. This actually wasn't. We're trying this new segment called Manny's Corner, and Manny likes to write questions for the guests. So, Manny, can I read one of yours?

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, look at that. Magic. Thank you so much.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, ready? This is. Okay, so I just. I just want to let you know that these are from Manny. Your dad. Your dad was a banker. You worked at a place called Tiger Lily, and you worked as Captain Hook's son.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

What other Peter Pan parallels do you have? And why do you have so many?

[Thomas Doherty]

How am I supposed to do that?

[Will Hunt]

Have you seen Peter Pan?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, of course I have. That's not point of contention. What's the question again? Ask me the question.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, gladly. It's so. Well, Written right. Shout out. Manny, your dad was a banker. You worked at a place called Tiger Lily. You worked a Tiger Lily. Isn't that that little Gidget store?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, Diago Lily was a restaurant in Edinburgh and I didn't have. I worked there after I finished college. So I worked there as a. Oh

[Will Hunt]

my God, I would have loved to go to college with you.

[Thomas Doherty]

It was fun.

[Will Hunt]

Did you have like the best time ever?

[Thomas Doherty]

I did have a lot of fun. Well, I was in theater, so it wasn't like. Okay, so like.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, okay, a few more questions.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay.

[Will Hunt]

When you were.

[Thomas Doherty]

I'm not even finished.

[Will Hunt]

Well, you said you didn't know how to answer it, so what other Peter Pan parallels do you have in your life?

[Thomas Doherty]

What are the feet of vampire? I don't know. I like green.

[Will Hunt]

He likes green. Oh, he wears green. Green's your favorite color.

[Thomas Doherty]

Green's my favorite color? Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Well, your eyes are kind of like. I know. You have amazing eyes. Okay, so. Okay, a few more. A few more. A few more questions. When you

[Thomas Doherty]

see what I mean. This is why I don't know what the he's about to say.

[Will Hunt]

You were a maid with a bunch of Polish women. Did you learn any fun Polish expressions?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, I didn't. And they never really spoke to me. I mean they were all like 50 and above and I again was just out of college.

[Will Hunt]

What do you mean they didn't talk?

[Thomas Doherty]

They didn't talk to me. 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.

[Will Hunt]

What's the crate? Oh, I'm trying.

[Thomas Doherty]

This was obviously. I mean, I was a teenager. So you just got a party and this is when the Edinburgh Fringe was on. Have you ever been to the Edinburgh Fringe?

[Will Hunt]

No. But you know what? I'm planning to go this year.

[Thomas Doherty]

I'm planning to do Edinburgh Fringe.

[Will Hunt]

I'm planning to go this year.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay. We need to figure something out.

[Will Hunt]

Would you go?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

100 and we could have fun at Edinburgh.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll show you around Edinburgh.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. So what was it like? So what, what were you saying?

[Thomas Doherty]

I love you. I love you.

[Will Hunt]

This is so fun. Are you having fun?

[Thomas Doherty]

What is your question? What one? Where are we?

[Will Hunt]

The Polish expression.

[Thomas Doherty]

The Polish. They didn't speak to me. They would just laugh at me because they thought it was ridiculous. And this hotel didn't have any stairs, so I had to like. Sorry. It didn't have any elevators. So it was like an old like townhouse. So I had to Haul all of these sheets up five flights of stairs and clean people's rooms and their bathrooms and stuff. And I'd start at 5 o' clock in the morning. But obviously I was a teenager and I was going out and partying and having fun. So I would set a timer on my phone for two minutes in every room. I'd go in and have a sleep on their bed for two. Two minutes.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, you. Yeah, you'd sleep. Oh, that leads me perfectly into another one of Manny's questions.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay, perfectly.

[Will Hunt]

So you used to sleep in hotel rooms when you were a maid and eat the food when you were a waiter. Has a boss ever liked you?

[Thomas Doherty]

I feel like that.

[Will Hunt]

But did you, like, like, did you get along with your bosses?

[Thomas Doherty]

I did, yeah. It's easier in America to get away with. What? Yeah, with a Scottish accent. In Scotland, it doesn't go as far,

[Will Hunt]

but here you're charming.

[Thomas Doherty]

Here, the Scottish accent, people forget.

[Will Hunt]

I forget. I mean, he answered the phone yesterday and I was like, oh, my God, I forgot you were Scottish.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. I arranged to meet up and we didn't because you.

[Will Hunt]

I had to catch a dick. Sorry. I went. I had to.

[Thomas Doherty]

Listen, you gotta do what you gotta do.

[Will Hunt]

I had to do it.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. So what was the craziest thing you saw when you worked as a maid?

[Thomas Doherty]

I know this is so annoying because it's like. It's perfect for a good story, but honestly, nothing, really.

[Will Hunt]

You had just, like, nice people.

[Thomas Doherty]

Just, like, nice people. Like, it was a really. It was like a nice old hotel. So there was no, like, fun. There's no parties or anything. People are quite boring.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah. That's okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I know. It was so perfect for, like a good.

[Will Hunt]

You never saw a good story?

[Thomas Doherty]

Nothing, Nothing, Nothing.

[Will Hunt]

You were never like. Yeah, so. Yeah, I guess because you never spoke to the Polish woman. You were never like. You guys see this? Yeah. Nothing.

[Thomas Doherty]

No. What jobs did you have?

[Will Hunt]

Oh, yes, I did, actually. I worked a lot of internships, so I worked.

[Thomas Doherty]

What did you go to college for?

[Will Hunt]

Public relations. So public relations is like what Alex does like? I was gonna be a publicist. That's what I wanted to do.

[Thomas Doherty]

That would have been so funny.

[Will Hunt]

I know, But I. I realize now I couldn't have done it because I.

[Thomas Doherty]

You're the star.

[Will Hunt]

I'm the star?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Or I would like to be.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

You know what I mean? So what was it like, filming? Where did you film?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yes.

[Will Hunt]

Tell me everything.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay. Yeah. So, I mean, it was amazing. It was definitely this time in my career, I've done 10 years in the industry now, you know, so I feel like I've done. I always looked at it as an apprenticeship for the. For the industry. Just trying to learn as much and also just find my feet. I mean, you know yourself, it's really strange. There's so many moving pieces and I mean, it took me so long to even know the difference between an agent and a manager. So I think for the first 10 years I was like figuring that out and then figuring myself out and living in LA and then living in New York and then getting bits of attention and fame and it's just. It's kind of weird to time process in your brain.

[Will Hunt]

Right.

[Thomas Doherty]

But I feel like I'm in a really, really good place with. With all of that and I have a great relationship with her and paradise was the real, kind of. Definitely feels like the turning point for me in my career in terms of having a little bit more of a creative voice with things and.

[Will Hunt]

What do you mean, creative voice?

[Thomas Doherty]

I don't know. I mean, I just. I think that I'm on sets with these well established directors and I mean, this is prior. The last 10 years, I'm with more experienced actors, with very experienced producers and executive producers and directors and cinematographers, you know, so I definitely had to like be quiet and listen and learn. But now it definitely feels like in paradise definitely can. I took that out of me and I mean, being surrounded by Shelley Moonlay. Shout out. Love you.

[Will Hunt]

She's amazing.

[Thomas Doherty]

How unbelievable.

[Will Hunt]

She's like really like. She's like, amazing.

[Thomas Doherty]

And she. I always. I always looked up to her like for so long. I've always thought that she never got her, like, flowers.

[Will Hunt]

What does that mean to give someone their flowers? It's like credit, your credit.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. For how good she actually is,

[Will Hunt]

but

[Thomas Doherty]

just the nicest, nicest human being as well. Really amazing person and drops into her character like I've never seen before. And so working with her and listening to her and. And Sterling K. Brown and Julianne Nicholson and James and all of them really kind of watched the way that they worked professionally, but also how they moved around the world with just such humility and they weren't trying to like, show and they weren't trying to perform and be like, I'm an actor kind of thing. It was that, like, confidence and that knowing that they had. Yeah. So just seeing how they move and like how they conduct themselves in the world and in the industry is people. That was it. Yeah. And I mean, you probably know that was really aggressive. No, it's okay, you know, yourself trying to find your feet and, like, find your voice, but not overshooting it.

[Will Hunt]

I don't know. I don't know about the second part,

[Thomas Doherty]

but finding that balance and obviously being true to the work and not compromising your authenticity for what's gonna work. You know, what's gonna.

[Will Hunt]

What do you mean by that? Compromising your authenticity for what's gonna work?

[Thomas Doherty]

I mean, taking job. I mean, like, you, again, you're still trying to figure it out. And so sometimes in your career, you're equating fame and public acknowledgment for success, but it's not necessarily. You don't necessarily feel fulfilled. So I've. But I always gave myself that 10 years. I was like, this is going to be, like, finding my foot, and I'm going to. Up here, and I'm going to, like, be really successful here. But that's kind of, you know.

[Will Hunt]

Right.

[Thomas Doherty]

And so now I definitely. I feel very grounded with it and with that. It's amazing, because then I'm not trying to perform. I'm not trying to prove anymore. And so my brain feels clearer, and I feel like I'm living more from here and going after projects more from this space, which is really amazing.

[Will Hunt]

That's amazing.

[Thomas Doherty]

I'm so happy for you. Yeah, it's really. It's really amazing, man. And just being on that show was just incredible. Like, Dan Fogelman as well. Just the best showrunner. Showrunner.

[Will Hunt]

Totally.

[Thomas Doherty]

So, yeah, it was just an incredible experience, and I can't wait to go and do more of it.

[Will Hunt]

Gag.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Well, I just saw that it's ending after, what, five seasons? They said three. What?

[Thomas Doherty]

Did they say that?

[Will Hunt]

No, they. No, wait. It came out, so there's no worries. But when is paradise ending?

[Thomas Doherty]

I think it was three. Dan's always said he's gonna do three.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. And you know what I love about that? I love a show that knows the story it wants to tell. And it's not just on the air to be on the air.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

And I think that's where a lot of shows have kind of lost the plot. A show that, like, knows the story. Like, my favorite show of all time is the show called Dark.

[Thomas Doherty]

Never heard of it.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God. You would love it. It's German.

[Thomas Doherty]

Why would I love it? I'm from Scotland.

[Will Hunt]

Well, they're close by.

[Thomas Doherty]

I mean, relatively.

[Will Hunt]

You've never been to Germany?

[Thomas Doherty]

I have been to Germany.

[Will Hunt]

I've never been to Germany.

[Thomas Doherty]

Why are you supporting this argument?

[Will Hunt]

Well, it's an amazing show. And it's only three seasons. And it's only supposed to be three seasons.

[Thomas Doherty]

I love a three season show. I think it should be three. I think, like you say, like, you know the story that it's trying to tell, you know where it's going, this prolonged. I think there's exceptions, though. I think shows like the Office.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, I don't. I've tried. I've really, really. I haven't like, really tried, but it's like, I've seen all the edits of Jim and Pam, so it's like, all right, I feel like I've seen the show.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. But that's the boring part. Jim and Pam parts.

[Will Hunt]

I think that would. People would disagree with that.

[Thomas Doherty]

Of course. People disagree with everything.

[Will Hunt]

Really?

[Thomas Doherty]

You tell me. You're on.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, right, right.

[Thomas Doherty]

That's what I was saying before I came here. I was like, obviously can't say anything stupid, but even like.

[Will Hunt]

Yes, I say stupid stuff all the time. You know, I used to think that Florida was at the bottom of the map.

[Thomas Doherty]

Well, like Antarctica. Wait, what?

[Will Hunt]

No, Like, I thought it was at

[Thomas Doherty]

the bottom of America.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, sorry. I thought it was at the top.

[Thomas Doherty]

You thought it was the top?

[Will Hunt]

Yes, I used to think it went New York, Florida, Los Angeles.

[Thomas Doherty]

That's really stupid.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah. I also didn't know that Moses from

[Thomas Doherty]

New York as well.

[Will Hunt]

Yep. I also didn't know that Moses and Jesus were two separate people. I thought they were the same person. And I discovered in college in a class, they kept talking about Moses, Jesus, Moses, Jesus. And I kept like referring to them as the same person. And my best friend Julie was like, do you think that they are the same person? And I was like, yes.

[Thomas Doherty]

Like, were you brought up Christian?

[Will Hunt]

No, I'm Jewish. We brought up Jewish, like, culturally, what are you. Are you Catholic?

[Thomas Doherty]

I was brought up Catholic.

[Will Hunt]

You're so Catholic.

[Thomas Doherty]

Really? What does that mean?

[Will Hunt]

You're just like, Scottish?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, but Scotland's a Protestant country.

[Will Hunt]

What is Protestant?

[Thomas Doherty]

Protestants. Just another sect of Christianity. So the Catholics are like. I know it's so stressful.

[Will Hunt]

So many.

[Thomas Doherty]

But Catholics are like the hardcore. So I was told. I always grew up, like, thinking it was like, just chill, normal. But apparently we're.

[Will Hunt]

Was your family very religious? Like church Sunday?

[Thomas Doherty]

Kind of. My gran, she always keeps. She always tells me I'm gonna go to hell.

[Will Hunt]

Why?

[Thomas Doherty]

Never. Really? I mean, she's 101. Good for her, right? 101.

[Will Hunt]

Is she, like, happy?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I mean, I think she's ready to go for sure.

[Will Hunt]

Like, at that age, do you Think you'd be like, I'm out.

[Thomas Doherty]

I would. At that age, I start like shoplifting and stuff.

[Will Hunt]

Well, at that age, is it just like it, like, do you think she wakes up and it's like every day is a blessing or is she like, why am I still here?

[Thomas Doherty]

She's like, oh, yeah, right, right, yeah.

[Will Hunt]

But like, good for her. 101.

[Thomas Doherty]

101.

[Will Hunt]

How she did she not smoke cigarettes ever?

[Thomas Doherty]

Did she smoke? Till she was 50? And I asked her actually, maybe last year. I was like. Because I used to smoke. And I was like, do you miss it?

[Will Hunt]

You used to smoke?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I don't smoke. I got these.

[Will Hunt]

You don't smoke cigarettes anymore? Oh, you don't vape either?

[Thomas Doherty]

Why I did that?

[Will Hunt]

Sorry, you don't vape?

[Thomas Doherty]

I don't vape anymore. No. Cuz it's kind of. I feel like when you get past 30 and you're vaping.

[Will Hunt]

How old are you?

[Thomas Doherty]

30.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God. Okay, cool. How old do you think I am?

[Thomas Doherty]

30. I'm joking. 28?

[Will Hunt]

26.

[Thomas Doherty]

26.

[Will Hunt]

Why do you think?

[Thomas Doherty]

Because you hold yourself like, older.

[Will Hunt]

Thanks.

[Thomas Doherty]

But you look so young.

[Will Hunt]

Thank you. I've been drinking a lot of water. Do you drink a lot of water?

[Thomas Doherty]

I do drink a lot of water.

[Will Hunt]

Like, do you make a point to drink a lot of water?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I drink maybe a couple liters a day.

[Will Hunt]

Shut up. Yeah, shut up.

[Thomas Doherty]

That's what you should do.

[Will Hunt]

How do you do that?

[Thomas Doherty]

Just, I've got like this little girly mug, you know, like all the. All the girlies have the.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, like, keep going.

[Thomas Doherty]

No, no,

[Will Hunt]

like that one.

[Thomas Doherty]

Almost there.

[Will Hunt]

Yes. Y.

[Thomas Doherty]

You know, I have one of those, like. You know the girlies at Equinox, they have like the big ones with the straw?

[Will Hunt]

Stanley.

[Thomas Doherty]

Stanley's. Yeah. So I have one of them and I have it in my fridge. I'm just gonna tell you. And I fill it up twice a day and drink it.

[Will Hunt]

What do you fill it up with? Tap water?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, I have a filter in my fridge. Okay, so like one of those things. But you have to put salt in water.

[Will Hunt]

Why?

[Thomas Doherty]

Because if you just drink straight water, it just goes straight through you. So if you put a pinch of salt, it. It gives the water something to attach to. And so it actually ironically hydrates you. Just a pinch of salt. Yeah. Because it gives something for it to. I hope this is right. Some scientists will come see. You can't say anything. No, but I think that is right. I think you need to, like, just say no to the boys for now. And just like really build up that self esteem in that I had to do it as well. That was really bad. Yeah, I, like, definitely compromised my authenticity for attachment, which is very unhealthy.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, you use a lot of big words and I know that what you are saying makes sense, but you thought

[Thomas Doherty]

Florida was love New York.

[Will Hunt]

I need you to explain what you mean by sacrificing your authenticity for attachment. Like you were being somebody else in order to maintain a relationship.

[Thomas Doherty]

I would. Yeah, I would compromise. I wouldn't be somebody else, but I would definitely compromise things that were authentic to me to make sure that I wasn't about. It's all childhood stuff, right?

[Will Hunt]

Okay, totally.

[Thomas Doherty]

I had a wonderful family and upbringing. But I mean, everyone. Everyone's fucked their childhood. And so I did. I definitely, definitely would do that. Which isn't fair to the person, of course.

[Will Hunt]

Like, what do you mean? Like, give me an example.

[Thomas Doherty]

I'll give you an actual example. I remember I was with this girl who I was in a relationship with, and she was like, oh, I like guys with gold jewelry. I like. I like gold jewelry.

[Will Hunt]

So obviously you bought gold jewelry.

[Thomas Doherty]

But I like, like silver jewelry.

[Will Hunt]

Right.

[Thomas Doherty]

But I would compromise what. I authentically like silver jewelry so that she would like gold jewelry on me. So that she would like me. So she would. Do you know what I mean?

[Will Hunt]

And that's a bad thing?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, that is a bad thing. How do you not see that that's a bad thing?

[Will Hunt]

Just gold jewelry.

[Thomas Doherty]

But the principle of the thing. And then you can start. And then you can start to. Then. Then you're not living authentically.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, that's fine. That's fair.

[Thomas Doherty]

And then you can get. Then you can become resentful.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, can we survey the room? Is that a bad thing?

[Thomas Doherty]

It depends what mindset you're doing it from.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, Louise, Louise. Like, you think she's Mrs. High Horse. Like, I can't with her.

[Thomas Doherty]

Exactly. You fit.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, that's fine. That's fine.

[Thomas Doherty]

And it's all. It's all like, stemmed from.

[Will Hunt]

Do you think I've already been sacrificing things that are authentic to me?

[Thomas Doherty]

I think you will. 100.

[Will Hunt]

Really?

[Thomas Doherty]

Definitely. Like, surfing the room. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Like, what. What have I sacrificed so far?

[Thomas Doherty]

Cause you aren't like you. You have insecurities and you're not confident and.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

Loving enough in yourself.

[Will Hunt]

Wait, so you've been working for, you would say, 10 years now.

[Thomas Doherty]

It's been 10 years. Yeah. I got my first. I started with Disney.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God. You were in the Descendants.

[Thomas Doherty]

I Was. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God, I totally forgot about that. And that. How quickly did that happen? So you started when you were. You started pursuing this when you were 20?

[Thomas Doherty]

I started pursuing. So I went to college when I was 17, and I was there for three years. And then I came out of college and I did a play in the Fringe and that's where I was working in Tiger Lily because I couldn't really afford to live in London, and Edinburgh and London are about an hour away on a flight. So I used to work during the day, get on a plane on my days off, and fly down to London and just steal my friends sofas for two days and like, just do, like, meet casting directors and try and fit in auditions and try and make it work. But I didn't. I really didn't have. This isn't some, like, annoying story, but I really didn't have not that much money and had amazing parents who were like, you got to figure it out yourself. They would always. Would have given me whatever I needed, but. Good parent in there. Thanks, mom and dad.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, that's great. You seem like you're from a good family.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, they're great. But I'd get the night bus back up to Edinburgh, which was like 10 hours or something. What? And I would get off the night bus, I got showered and stuff, and then go to work again.

[Will Hunt]

Wow.

[Thomas Doherty]

So I, like, really, like, put in a graph to try and make this work, and then Disney happened. So that kind of. That definitely changed my life.

[Will Hunt]

How old were you when Disney happened?

[Thomas Doherty]

20.

[Will Hunt]

So two years. Two years of hard work and you got to sign?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, not even, like six months.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. Wow. And then when did the Gossip Girl reboot happen?

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, and then I did a bunch of jobs in between. And then after Covid. During COVID actually, we were meant to go, and then Covid happened in 2020.

[Will Hunt]

And how pumped were you when you found out you got Gossip Girl?

[Thomas Doherty]

I was excited. I was. I. I was. I was told it would be more kind of, because I wasn't that keen at the time to do a Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl. But I was told it'd be more kind of euphoria kind of sprinkled into it.

[Will Hunt]

Why weren't you keen to do Gossip Girl at the time?

[Thomas Doherty]

Again, 24. Finding my feet, comparing how my career should be, what I should be, how I should be seen, how that, that. All that ego stuff.

[Will Hunt]

What did you think? Now that you're past it, what did you think? This is how I should be seen. And this is what my career should be like, what were. What did you think?

[Thomas Doherty]

I think. What do I think I should have been?

[Will Hunt]

No, what did you, like, think at the time?

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, at the time. I mean, you always compare yourself to other actors that are doing, which is the worst thing you can possibly do.

[Will Hunt]

But, I mean, you look yourself.

[Thomas Doherty]

Amazing actors like Chalamet or whoever else was kicking around then, and they're doing really these amazing films that are going to like, award seasons and stuff. And so then your ego flares up and you're insecure and you're like, oh, no, I want to be killed. And like, do all this cool stuff. It was an incredible job, incredible opportunity. I met incredible people. They're. I've got best friends to this day. Do you mean, have you met Eli?

[Will Hunt]

I have met him.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

I met him at Tenants of the Trees in Los Angeles.

[Thomas Doherty]

Just the best guy.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, he is so, so lovely.

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, just the best.

[Will Hunt]

So he is the one you're so close with.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I was just staying with him and his girlfriend.

[Will Hunt]

Right, okay. So you feel moral of the story. Do you find yourself. You're like, I, for the past five years since Gossip Girl, like, you were reaching for this thing and you were comparing yourself, and you finally feel like you're at this stage where you're like, maybe just happy.

[Thomas Doherty]

All of that stuff was definitely symptomatic of a much deeper thing of I wasn't able to validate myself ultimately is kind of what I see that now. And so the best or the worst place depends where you are in the journey of validation is Hollywood, you know, because you're getting all this validation, you have this opportunity to get all of that external validation. And no matter how much I got, no matter how much I tried, it was never. It was never filling me.

[Will Hunt]

So what was the moment that you let go of that?

[Thomas Doherty]

I didn't have a choice.

[Will Hunt]

What do you mean?

[Thomas Doherty]

I just wasn't myself. I, like, completely lost myself. And it was. It's a kind of weird thing to see when you're like, well, how could you lose something that you don't know? You know, I think I grew up and all my energy, I was very hyper vigilant to my surroundings and what was going on outside. So I never really, like, properly developed a sense of Thomas, you know, And I was always very kind of out there and theatrical and very performative, and that all kind of just carried through. And so I think maybe a year ago, I hit a point where

[Will Hunt]

it

[Thomas Doherty]

became crystal clear what. What it was I was trying to do. I was Trying to fill this void inside of me with other people. And no matter how hard you try, you will never. And so then I stopped doing that and took a, took a beat and sat through some pain. You know, it's. You can't run away from it. And I tried it all with everything. Fame, money and like, none of just makes everything worse. And I got to a point where I was like, this is the my only way out. And luckily I love acting so much, so I can always go back to that. That's always been very, that's been really stable. It's been a stability for me. And I was like, you know what? I'm gonna just go back into that and have this as like my friend and just work through things and be able and develop this sense of self and self acceptance and self love and try and meet all that shame face on. Because it all just leads to one thing. You know, you try and avoid this shame by doing this shameful thing and then because of that, you're like, ashamed and then you want to escape that shame and then you ultimately end up, you know, so it's like just a downward spiral.

[Will Hunt]

You went through these like, wax and waning periods of like, you'd have a project and you get attention and then you wouldn't. And then you wouldn't, then you wouldn't. And I think. Was that hard for, for you? Is that what you were trying to say? Or did I misread it entirely?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, that, I mean, that's definitely an aspect of it to kind of again, the inability to. And I'm not trying to like, preach. Don't take my like, word.

[Will Hunt]

This, no, this is your truth. This is your truth.

[Thomas Doherty]

But yeah, I, I, it's. And it all boiled up to like relatively recently to this like, clarity that I had of if I, this is, this is the only way, it is the only way to be able to self regulate and self validate. That's it.

[Will Hunt]

And you were surrounded by such lovely people that you worked with that didn't share that mindset that were like, went to work as, like, this is, you know, my job. Like, this is like, as you were saying at the very beginning of the show, you were like, these people didn't have an ego. Like they were, they like really loved acting. Like you weren't around people that also like, like they were all. Does that make sense?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Will Hunt]

I mean, a healthy set.

[Thomas Doherty]

I was on a very, very healthy set.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

I mean, Dan doesn't take. You would never even never survive you know.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

On. On one of his sets because he's such a beautiful human and everything. The culture on the set is derived from a showrunner. And so the culture on the set is just amazing. And they've all worked together for so long, so. But I think, no, everything. Everything truly happens for a reason.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, I know.

[Thomas Doherty]

I do do believe that. I mean, and I've not. I've not lost anyone that is close to me in my life, apart from my grandmother when I was like 15.

[Will Hunt]

How old was she that one?

[Thomas Doherty]

90.

[Will Hunt]

90.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Probably like similar vibe of like. Oh, I'm good.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay. Yeah, yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Like ready? Yeah, right.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Very like religious as well. So she's gone up to see the big man.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, do you believe in that?

[Thomas Doherty]

I believe in like a higher power. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

I also believe that we are that power. I don't think there's any like, moment of separation apart from when it's our brain, our ego. I think that's the only separation in universally.

[Will Hunt]

What is an eco. Like, what is that? I never understood that. I took Freud in high school. I didn't get it. I didn't.

[Thomas Doherty]

You should be telling me what the ego and the super ego and all

[Will Hunt]

that stuff don't know.

[Thomas Doherty]

I love Eckhart Tolle. Do you know Eckhart Tolle? He did the Power of Now. He talks about the ego as this false sense of self. So it doesn't even necessarily. Everyone equates the word ego with like, I'm amazing and.

[Will Hunt]

Right, right, right.

[Thomas Doherty]

This Broadway show that I'm doing. But it's more like false. That's why I have this tattooed here.

[Will Hunt]

What does that say?

[Thomas Doherty]

It's backwards. So. I'm so excited for you to try.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. Mind if I.

[Thomas Doherty]

You touch away?

[Will Hunt]

Oh, okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

So.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, let me see. I see a W. Do you mind if I move the necklace or. Okay. Who is this? Who is. Who is.

[Thomas Doherty]

Who is this? I.

[Will Hunt]

What?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, so like, I guess it's kind of like come from this idea to challenge this egoic self or egoic. I like what Thomas is what I believe Thomas is. So it's like a challenging question. There's no punctuation on it. It's very open ended.

[Will Hunt]

People that aren't from America are so smart. It's like painful.

[Thomas Doherty]

I'm not smart. No, no, no. This is just like interest. This has like been so close while

[Will Hunt]

you are talking to me, like, I feel like I'm each word you say. I have to like quickly dictionary it in my head so I can piece the sentence Together, do you know what I mean?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, I didn't think I was using the big words.

[Will Hunt]

Do you know what I mean?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Dictionary.

[Will Hunt]

Do you understand?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I'm following. Ultimately it's just like I was very, I was just, I just, I was just growing up and I had a lot of insecurities and a complete inability to self validate and being around and I've been up and down so, so, so many times and honestly turning 30

[Will Hunt]

does something well, you know you just finished your Saturn return.

[Thomas Doherty]

That's right.

[Will Hunt]

Do you know what that is?

[Thomas Doherty]

I do know what that is. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

People are saying that when I was in the trenches.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, it's true.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

She's going through hers right now.

[Thomas Doherty]

Really? What's happening with you?

[Will Hunt]

Take the mic, you're gonna get attacked. Yeah, take the mic.

[Thomas Doherty]

Like in the beginning stages.

[Will Hunt]

So I'm not quite sure what the lesson is yet that I'm needed to learn. What was the lesson you thought you learned in your Saturn return?

[Thomas Doherty]

You can only, only you can make. You only can be happy. And I always thought I needed something to be happy, right. And then I realized, oh, you can actually just like be happy. Which was a brand new concept to me. I feel like in this world, like in the western world, it's always like you're always made to feel ugly or your clothes are, your style's bad. But if you buy this product then you're gonna be happy, then that's gonna complete you and then after time it's like you buy a new pair of shoes and then you're so pumped and hyped on them for a week and then you'll do it again and it's five days and then eventually it gets down to like 10 minutes and you just, you use that mechanism of escapism and false dopamine, you, you wear out, then you're just left with your. And then you just gotta look at it and you just gotta go through it or you can continue to escape. I knew that. I saw the mechanisms that I was, what was what I was doing. I was so crystal clear on inability to validate myself. I had all these insecurities and so I just, I didn't have it. I didn't, I, I don't, I believe I didn't have a choice. But I'm so grateful for everything that's happened.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. That's really beautiful.

[Thomas Doherty]

Otherwise I wouldn't be here with me. With you. I can't believe I just did that.

[Will Hunt]

So do you never get. So my issue that I Find is that, like, I want to be happy for happiness sake, but I get so worried that something. Have you ever heard the song Happy and sad by Casey Musgraves?

[Thomas Doherty]

Y. No.

[Will Hunt]

You should listen to it.

[Thomas Doherty]

I love you. Follow your arrow, though.

[Will Hunt]

You do.

[Thomas Doherty]

I love that.

[Will Hunt]

Isn't that such a good song? She's amazing.

[Thomas Doherty]

She's so good.

[Will Hunt]

Have you heard anything else by her?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, just that.

[Will Hunt]

My God. Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God. Oh, my God. It doesn't matter. No, really, really. She crosses it, like, it really, like, oh, my God. She is, like, so incredible. Like, her album Golden Hour is one of, like, it's probably one of the best country albums I've ever heard of in my albums I've ever heard in my entire life.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay. Golden.

[Will Hunt]

Her wordplay and the way she's able to describe these really universal feelings that are so difficult to describe by just kind of, like, describing them as they are is so unique. She has this song called Happy and Sad, and it's about that feeling when. When you're really happy and you can't let yourself be happy. Cause you're so scared and you're so on the defense of something bad happening. So the song is about the anxieties of finding joy and being happy. And I just think that there is nobody else that really is able to tap into such. You, like, those, like, real human, like, experiences. Like, she has, like, I think she's, like, so, so, so incredible.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay, I'm gonna listen to. What's it? Golden.

[Will Hunt]

Golden Hour, one of the best albums of the last 20 years. And then also she has a song called Merry go Round, which is also really incredible. It's probably one of my favorite songs by her. And the word play on Merry go round is, like, really is sick. It's, like, sickening. Like, you'll listen to it, and you know when you listen to rap music and you kind of, like, make a stank face?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Like, when you listen to merry go around, like, you know. Do you know what I mean? I love Casey Musgraves. Does anyone here listen to Casey Musgraves? How accurate was that description of happy and sad?

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay, I'm gonna listen to it.

[Will Hunt]

It is the best, like, when. And it really makes me feel so seen because that is my issue with happiness is like. Like, I know I can be happy. And I always try to, like. Like, everyone today was like, you were in such a good mood. And I keep saying, like, just. I know, but just wait, because it can't last.

[Thomas Doherty]

Because it's based on. It's based on your mood is based on this guy. So that means that you're at the mercy of external forces. So you're never like, really? I have a really, really good friend, Josiah, and he is a bit older, and he doesn't look for happiness. He just looks for peace. And I think if you start looking for contentment and peace there, it's like 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.

[Will Hunt]

What's another paradox of life?

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay, I'm not that into paradoxes of life, evidently. But. But there's a. I really. Can someone look up paradoxes of life? There's, like, major ones.

[Will Hunt]

It's like when you stop looking for something, then it comes to.

[Thomas Doherty]

You felt like Joe Rogan there. That was cool. Can you look up?

[Will Hunt]

Is that what he does?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Can you look up, Jamie? Yeah, Jamie. That's it.

[Will Hunt]

More failures can lead to greater success.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, there's.

[Will Hunt]

That's a paradox. Slowing down can help you speed up in the long run. The harder you push for something, the harder it will feel to achieve. What do you mean? The harder you push for something, the harder it will feel to achieve. What does that mean?

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay, I'll equate it to auditioning.

[Will Hunt]

If you're like, that's what I was trying. Okay, go.

[Thomas Doherty]

Really want a job?

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

Like, need a job. And you go into the room with the casting directors, they will smell it off you instantly, the desperation. And they don't want that. Whereas you always hear these stories about people being like, yeah, they want to do it, but, like, I pulled up to the audition and I got the job because there's. That element's not there that, like.

[Will Hunt]

Okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

And people can feel that.

[Will Hunt]

With Broadway, I had no idea it was gonna happen, but, like, it kind of happened by, like, chance. Ashley park was supposed to be in the play, and I think something happened and she. She couldn't do it anymore. So it kind of.

[Thomas Doherty]

Ashley Park. I know, actually.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, she's lovely. I've never met her.

[Thomas Doherty]

She's really.

[Will Hunt]

She. I've heard she is so lovely.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, she's nice.

[Will Hunt]

But that's how that play came to me. And it's been the best. Like, one of the best experiences in my life, but it's not something I, like, went out and sought after so desperately.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. And that's. That's the whole thing about surrender. And honestly, as disenfranchising as the world is right now. And how just apathetic everyone is, like, with the files coming out and just. There is something. The silver lining that I can take from it is that there was all always, like, some part of me that felt like I was. Had control. But now, like, all of this stuff coming out, you're like, oh, my God, I have zilt. Like, I have no control. So then you're like, well, what do. What can you control? And I can control you. So you will never be able. No one will be able to take a choice away from you. And so you can still cultivate what you want to feel. Like you can control how you react to things and respond to things and how you, like, share your love with your immediate circle and stuff in life, which goes in with kind of fundamental religious and spiritual teachings of surrendering. And it's almost like you surrender to the thing that's greater than you, which is also you, and that the universe has always got your back or God's always got you covered. And the minute your ego gets involved, that's what happened with me as well. Your ego, your. I try to, like, control things and, like, make things work, but it's never going to happen because I can't do that and I fucked it up. So you have to surrender to something much greater than yourself. Universe, God, life, whatever, however you see it. And then something happens and there's just this ease to life. And then when the ease you start getting a little bit successful e. Then the ego jumps back in and it all up. That's what I found.

[Will Hunt]

I was. But it's so moved.

[Thomas Doherty]

But it's really terrifying because you're so right.

[Will Hunt]

You have to, like, go through the hard stuff and then, like, kind of re. Acclimate into the peace and into the that and then. But your ego will always jump in. It'll always be there. And you just have to learn how to deal with that.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. And that's. Yeah. You have to stay vigilant, and meditation is really helpful for that.

[Will Hunt]

Are you finding with paradise and the success of paradise, your ego jumping back in at times?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, not at all, actually.

[Will Hunt]

Okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

Because I've kind of done it. Done the dance enough that I knew what I was going to come into. And so I allow myself to, like, Spike, be proud of myself and all the rest of it during the premiere and just to, like, enjoy. Enjoy the moment and kind of take a pause to see where I am and what I've achieved. Now, that's a whole other conversation of the. What I'VE achieved. I chop up to good fortune, luck, and the people around me and the experiences that I've been fortunate enough to have in life, which have lived another experience which has led to this, you know, So I can't even really take credit for that anymore. Not to be sound like a martyr.

[Will Hunt]

No, I got it.

[Thomas Doherty]

But I think with I. I knew what I was getting into. And you can't attach yourself to anything either.

[Will Hunt]

What do you mean? You can't attach yourself to anything.

[Thomas Doherty]

So, for example, paradise is coming out. The premiere comes out. Everyone's taking pictures of you. Naturally, you're human. You'll get like a dopamine hit. Duh. Your serotonin.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

And then it's inevitably going to come down, and I need. And then I let it come down, and then I kind of move on from that aspect of it and then go back to the acting. Whereas if I. The premiere comes out, I attached to that feeling. Oh, I'm starting to feel a lull, but I don't want to feel alone. I want to get back up there.

[Will Hunt]

Right, right.

[Thomas Doherty]

Released. Oh, my God. More. Oh, perfect. And then you attach to that two weeks, something else is gonna.

[Will Hunt]

Right.

[Thomas Doherty]

Replace it. Some other shows gonna come out, and then you're just gonna be disappointed. And then you're gonna be like, fuck, I'm gonna get that feeling again. So you'll go after that feeling again. And by going after that feeling again, all I'll do is compromise authenticity with my work and with who I am to get this almost hit of a drug. And then you're in the weeds, and then you start doing this and you start going down. And then you get to a point in a month or in a year or in five years or 10 years where you're like, oh, I'm not myself again. Ah. Because I compromised all of this stuff for ego fulfillment, which is never fulfilled. And the whole nature of the ego, much smarter people can speak on this. Don't. But the rudimentary of what I think it is is the ego's whole process system is to survive.

[Will Hunt]

Like an organism kind of.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Like its own thing, its own entity.

[Will Hunt]

Wow. So your ego is not your friend.

[Thomas Doherty]

I don't know.

[Will Hunt]

Like, would people say it's your friend?

[Thomas Doherty]

I think some people. Yeah. Like Andrew Tate, mate. Oh, okay.

[Will Hunt]

So, like, bad people would say, it's your friend.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, yeah. Like, these guys are like, I'll do anything, but they'll never do therapy.

[Will Hunt]

Right. Are you in therapy?

[Thomas Doherty]

I am, yeah.

[Will Hunt]

How is.

[Thomas Doherty]

It's good.

[Will Hunt]

Boy or girl?

[Thomas Doherty]

Girl. Okay. Always girl. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah. I think I need a guy therapist. Weirdly enough, I always try to become the girl's friend.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay. Okay, that's interesting. I always can see that.

[Will Hunt]

I always try to become that.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, but if it was a guy, it has to be an ugly guy then, because you're just trying.

[Will Hunt]

I wasn't gonna say it, but, yeah. Like, I used to have this doctor. He was so hot. And I saw him on Hinge once, and I literally was like, do I like him or not? And, like, it took me, like, 20 minutes. And honestly, it took me an entire day to be like, I can't like him.

[Thomas Doherty]

No, I remember that. Louise, you probably didn't. It's like when you. You're in high school and, like, the geography teacher's like, oh, she's so hot, or he's so hot.

[Will Hunt]

Did you ever have a thing with a teacher in college?

[Thomas Doherty]

No, but it's like when you're in high school and everyone's like, oh, yeah, your geography teacher is really hot, but she's not actually hot. It's more the idea that she's a teacher. It's like, your doctor probably wasn't actually that hot. Be honest.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay.

[Will Hunt]

Do you want to do the tell me what's wrongs?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

I was traveling back to my boyfriend's city, and the flight got delayed. When I told him the arrival was at 4am he refused to stay up for me and open the door because he needed. He needed to sleep. His solution was to just get a long breakfast or nap at the airport. Is this normal? Wait, no. What?

[Thomas Doherty]

No. That is kind of crazy.

[Will Hunt]

That's crazy.

[Thomas Doherty]

At first I was like, how old is she?

[Will Hunt]

I don't know. But at first I was like, okay, he didn't want to come get you at the airport at 4:00am like, that's fine. But if he locked the door and didn't want you to come in, go get a long breakfast, there's someone else

[Thomas Doherty]

in the apartment that is. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, you think so my first instinct, obviously, is to be like, break up with him. And I mean that. Actually, you know what? I'm gonna say that that's horrible.

[Thomas Doherty]

Well, there's so many factors, though, isn't there?

[Will Hunt]

Like, how old are you?

[Thomas Doherty]

How long have you been together for? If it's north of Lake, five months and you're north of 18.

[Will Hunt]

So would north be less than five months or more? More than five months.

[Thomas Doherty]

You're joking.

[Will Hunt]

Do you know what? I'm not.

[Thomas Doherty]

No.

[Will Hunt]

So north more than.

[Thomas Doherty]

More than. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. You know I graduated cum laude.

[Thomas Doherty]

I don't believe that. Yeah, yeah. So I think all these fights. So I think if you're older than 18, if you've been dating more than five months. That's just awful. Yeah, that's really mean. That must like. That must be sad.

[Will Hunt]

And you're traveling to go see your boyfriend.

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, is that what she's saying?

[Will Hunt]

Yes.

[Thomas Doherty]

You gotta pull up. For sure.

[Will Hunt]

My boyfriend's mom follows me on Instagram and watches every single story within seconds and once replied interesting to a bikini pic. Sure, we were high school sweethearts, but we're almost finished with college. It's weird. Do I block her or is that worse? Yeah, so you can't block her some. Do you think that if the mother or father in law or is like really difficult that that should end a relationship?

[Thomas Doherty]

It depends. It depends how intrusive they are in the relationship.

[Will Hunt]

In this situation.

[Thomas Doherty]

In this situation.

[Will Hunt]

You're commenting, she's like responding interesting to her bikini pick. I'd be like so passive aggressive. So passive aggressive.

[Thomas Doherty]

I think I'd double down just to piss her off more.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah, I don't think end the relationship, but I think. No.

[Thomas Doherty]

You don't think end the relationship. Relationship. Definitely talk to your partner about it

[Will Hunt]

and get, you can get feisty with the mom. Be like, if she's gonna come for me, I'm gonna come for her right back.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. What would you say?

[Will Hunt]

Interesting. I'd be like, I know I look good, right?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Or I'd respond like, you like question mark? I'd like. I'd be like, whatever.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

And then like if the boyfriend breaks up with me because the mom is crazy, then that's not my problem.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. That's also kind of dark as well.

[Will Hunt]

I'm 29 and I've been with my boyfriend for nine years. We own a house together and for some reason I had a feeling he would propose, but it hasn't happened yet. He's been talking a next steps and for him that would be kids. I've mentioned marriage a few times lately and found that he hasn't even considered ring shopping. Do you think that's a me problem? The fact that I would like to be married first or do you think that's really. That's reasonable before kids? Personally, for me, I think it's reasonable before kids. However, there are a lot of people in this world that do not believe in the institution of marriage.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, yeah. No, for sure. I mean, I think if you're like raising a child to have that financial security structure.

[Will Hunt]

Agreed.

[Thomas Doherty]

Supporting the child.

[Will Hunt]

I think you do it for the

[Thomas Doherty]

child even if you don't want to. I think it's good for a child to have that.

[Will Hunt]

What I will say is I don't think it's like with bad intent that he's saying he doesn't want to get married. I don't think he doesn't. I don't think he's not considering marriage because he doesn't want to marry you. If he's talking about wanting to have kids with you.

[Thomas Doherty]

Well, that's why I was confused.

[Will Hunt]

Do you know what I mean? Like, I think maybe this is a larger conversation of like, hey, do you like not want to do marriage as a whole? And like that having that conversation. And if you cannot get on the same page with that, then maybe you do have to go your separate ways if marriage is so important to you. But if he's more important to you as a person, then maybe you can work through it.

[Thomas Doherty]

I think look up and research the impacts studies. I'm sure there's loads of studies about kids being raised in a with two parents.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, you want to convince him versus

[Thomas Doherty]

kids that are in a marriage.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, so look up a study and

[Thomas Doherty]

so just whatever is best for the child. If you're gonna bring a child into the world, everything needs to be about the child. Every child should be a narcissist.

[Will Hunt]

What?

[Thomas Doherty]

Every child should be a narcissist. I. E. Only think about themselves, only develop themselves because that's when you like, then you know who you are and then you like go into the world. Okay, so I think whatever is best for the child.

[Will Hunt]

Love that energy. Basically my roommate keeps. Oh, oh my God. Basically my roommate keeps getting hand jobs from his boyfriend every time we do a movie night hangout, etc and pretend we don't notice, like full eye contact and talk.

[Thomas Doherty]

I really took me away there.

[Will Hunt]

Basically my roommate keeps getting hand jobs from his boyfriend every time we do a movie night, hang out etc and pretend we don't know noticed, like full eye contact and talking to us like it's literally not happening. One time he asked me to pass him his water during it. How do I address this? That is so crazy.

[Thomas Doherty]

Look at me, look at me.

[Will Hunt]

That is so crazy. I would be like, hey, by the way, like this is so weird. Like I. Everybody thinks it's weird and like I'd

[Thomas Doherty]

be like, what you guys doing?

[Will Hunt]

No, I would be like I need to talk to you. Like not only do I think, like I don't mean to Embarrass you because, like, I don't know if know this, but, like, we all know that you're getting a hand job while we all hang out. And, like, it is just, like, super confusing. And, like, I understand that, like, you might be so in love with each other and so obsessed with each other, and, like, I love that for you, but, like, for us, like, I don't want to see that, period. It's weird. It makes me feel weird. And, like, you need to stop. And if you can't stop, then we cannot hang out as a group anymore, period. Yeah, that was great advice.

[Thomas Doherty]

That was really good advice. Yeah. Nothing more to add on that. What's late night?

[Will Hunt]

What?

[Thomas Doherty]

What's late night?

[Will Hunt]

Late night? Oh, it was when I went on Seth Meyers.

[Thomas Doherty]

Is that what that is?

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

That's so cool, man. You should be so proud of yourself, Thomas. You really should.

[Will Hunt]

Thank you. I didn't really feel it in the moment. I couldn't feel it. But then, like, my parents were texting me, and their friends were texting them, and I was getting a bunch of texts from, like, everyone being like, that's so cool.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, dude, Even I saw. I was like, what the. This is awesome.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, Thomas, thank you. But it doesn't feel. When you're doing it in the moment, it doesn't feel like. It's very hard to, like, rationalize that. Like, it's. This is correct. So it, like, imposter syndrome.

[Thomas Doherty]

I guess it's imposter syndrome. Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

And I don't mean to say that I feel like sometimes saying, like, I have imposter syndrome, like, it can toe the line of being very pick me, but, like, I really did, actually.

[Thomas Doherty]

No, you're riddled with imposter syndrome.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, you think so?

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, absolutely.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, cool.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I had imposter syndrome so much as well.

[Will Hunt]

I think it's because I started my career on an app that isn't considered, like, traditional. So when I do something of a traditional talent nature, I feel very like, this doesn't feel right. Even though I want this and I want this to happen and I want it to feel right. It doesn't feel right because I came up on an app that isn't in that field. So, like, the merging of those two, which is, like, happening right now, is just makes me feel weird. It makes me very happy. It's what I've always wanted, but I do, like, feel like, oh, my God, Am I supposed to be here?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, I can get that 100%. I mean, you're Very nation. You've developed and created something very unique. I mean, I can look at chat shows and, like, see how other actors are and how they conduct themselves, whereas you're definitely trailblazing.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, what?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah, for sure, dude. It's unbelievable. You were on that show.

[Will Hunt]

You want to hang out Wednesday after the show?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

You want to, like, just go get high, do something? Yeah, let's do it.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God, you are the best. Has anyone ever, like, told you that?

[Thomas Doherty]

No.

[Will Hunt]

You are the best.

[Thomas Doherty]

My grand does. And then she tells me I'm going to hell in the same sentence.

[Will Hunt]

I love her. I would love her.

[Thomas Doherty]

Disorganized attachment because of her.

[Will Hunt]

All my. All of what you say? Sorry.

[Thomas Doherty]

Disorganized attachment because of.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, I. The attachment theories. Jenny. Alex was trying to explain to me the attachment theories the other day. Like, like, anxious attachment, like, all that stuff. And I'm very. I'm gonna, like, look into it because I'm very interested.

[Thomas Doherty]

It's really, really interesting. It'll get you closer to you because

[Will Hunt]

then you'll see what you are.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Kind of fun, honestly.

[Will Hunt]

No, I know. Psychology is, like, interesting.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

All of them interesting. All of my friends are going abroad next semester except for me. None of them told me they were signing up for it, and they made a separate group chat to talk about plenty and everything. Oh, my God, girl.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Wow.

[Will Hunt]

It's not like I could afford it anyways, but I'm going to be living alone, and all my roommates and friends are going to be living together in Rome.

[Thomas Doherty]

Just realize that they're not your people and that they're treating you disrespectfully, and you don't allow yourself to be treated with a disrespect, and then you just part ways.

[Will Hunt]

I was supposed to go abroad, and then covet happened, and I'm so grateful that abroad to work? No, like, you're gonna go in the States. When people, like, go to. Like, when people go to college in the States, there's this thing, like, junior year, a lot of people will take a semester and go to Europe abroad. And I was supposed to go to London, and then Covid happened, and I'm so great. I'm not grateful that Covid happened, but I'm grateful that it led me to not going abroad, because then I had an incredible job that led me to meet Louise. That led me here to talk to you now.

[Thomas Doherty]

So you really, like. I've been doing this five years.

[Will Hunt]

I've been doing this for three years. I would say, like, Almost three on the dot. I know it's crazy, but it feels so long.

[Thomas Doherty]

You're on a. On your own Broadway.

[Will Hunt]

I know, I know, I know. I really need to, but. Back to Happy and Sad by Casey and Musgraves. Sometimes when I feel. Casey, what did I just say? Sometimes I feel like if I recognize the good, the bad will come. So like, sometimes that's gonna come. I don't want it to, but.

[Thomas Doherty]

But by. By I. By denying the good doesn't mean that it's gonna. Then the bad's not gonna come. You can still enjoy the good. Just don't attach yourself to the good.

[Will Hunt]

I can't. I can't. I can't. Are you on meds?

[Thomas Doherty]

No.

[Will Hunt]

Wow. Good for you.

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, I've been, though.

[Will Hunt]

I keep getting. You have? Which ones? Okay. That's okay. That's okay, that's okay. I keep getting nauseous every time I hook up with my girlfriend. Like, it feels like I'm carsick every time we're intimate. We've been together for three months and it's never not happened. Okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

Is this a girl?

[Will Hunt]

I don't know. I'm good at hiding it. But what does this mean? Is it a sex thing or her thing? Or do I play for a different team, if you know what I mean?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. If it's a guy saying this, then maybe. Honestly, if it's a guy saying this and he's watching your show and writing into your show, I think he might be gay, which is fine.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, that was fucking funny. Oh, you should go into comedy next. I caught my brother watching gay porn. He is super homophobic. I know exactly what this means, and he didn't know I saw him. I don't want to out him and bring it up in an uncomfortable way, but I can't stay silent when he says nasty shit all the time. How do I be the bigger person handling this? You go to him privately and you

[Thomas Doherty]

say, yeah, I know what you do. You say you're gay, and that's okay.

[Will Hunt]

And that's okay. Do you know that reference?

[Thomas Doherty]

No.

[Will Hunt]

You're by.

[Thomas Doherty]

You are gay?

[Will Hunt]

No. You've never seen your bi.

[Thomas Doherty]

No.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, my God. What is it the best video only. It's only the best video of all time.

[Thomas Doherty]

Can you feel it up? I want to see it.

[Will Hunt]

Have you got. You've all seen your buy, right? Alex, have you seen your buy? It's. It's in the. It's like the what would you do? Shows and.

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, I love those shows.

[Will Hunt]

Sometimes somebody's like, you're gay. And he's like, but I like guys and girls. This woman taps him on the shoulder and goes, you're by. And it's just like, perfect. It's just like one. Okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

Sometimes if I look, look, look, look.

[Will Hunt]

You're.

[Thomas Doherty]

Bye.

[Will Hunt]

So awesome.

[Thomas Doherty]

Sometimes if I need to cry, I'll watch what we do videos and watch people, like, sticking up for each other. That, like, makes me cry the most is watching strangers sticking up and helping other strangers.

[Will Hunt]

When's the last time you cried?

[Thomas Doherty]

Last night.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, really?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

I'm sorry.

[Thomas Doherty]

No, it's good.

[Will Hunt]

I wish I could cry.

[Thomas Doherty]

It's good.

[Will Hunt]

I wish.

[Thomas Doherty]

I love. I love. Like, I'm like access and tears.

[Will Hunt]

What made you cry? If you feel comfortable sharing, that's okay. My relationship is just a total double standard these days and I'm getting sick of it. I asked my boyfriend about his celebrity crush and he told me his current was Josh o', Connor, who looks nothing like me. And so I responded with my celebrity crush. And he got so immediately jealous and genuinely upset for the rest of the day that, like, just happened. But stuff like this happens every other day. At first it was cute, but it honestly is this toxic behavior. Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

But like, I've been there. I've been there, brother. It's the worst thing. And it's just insecurity.

[Will Hunt]

Okay?

[Thomas Doherty]

That's all it is.

[Will Hunt]

Okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

And so I don't know if you can get through it together, but I think if he's being honest, there's hope to get through it, you know?

[Will Hunt]

Is he being honest in the fact that he recognizes it's a double standard the most. My number one pet peeve is when someone, like, can't realize how hypocritical they're being.

[Thomas Doherty]

I think, you know, that's just insecurity. I've been there. I actually have been there it a bunch of times. And it's the worst. It's like the worst feeling because you're also like, hate it. But it's like some weird abandonment.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah.

[Thomas Doherty]

Thing. It's like a threat to your, like, existence. So I think that's. Yeah, it's sad.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, last one. Are you ready?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah.

[Will Hunt]

I'm tired of feeling like I could constantly do better no matter what the case is. School, boys, family, etc, I have this thing in my head that tells me I can always do more. I don't know if this is relatable, but if you or amazing guests. I just need five seconds. I need to restart.

[Thomas Doherty]

Actually, I missed that.

[Will Hunt]

It's okay. Just don't worry about it. I'm tired of feeling like I could constantly do better no matter what the case is. School, boys, family, etc, I have this thing in my head that tells me I can always do more. I don't know if this is relatable, but if you or amazing guest ever feel like this, how do you guys navigate it and remind yourself to slow down?

[Thomas Doherty]

My mom actually bought me a gratitude journal.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. Do you do that?

[Thomas Doherty]

I do. I haven't been doing it the last few weeks, just with everything with paradise coming out. So I've been distracted. But see that plug, period.

[Will Hunt]

What is the best show on television? And I meant. I mean that it is good in it. No, it. I didn't want to leave to. I wanted to keep watching because I have the screeners and I'm like, all I can think about. And the reason I'm in such a half. The reason I'm in such a good mood is because I'm so fucking pumped to go home and watch Paradise.

[Thomas Doherty]

It just gets better.

[Will Hunt]

I've never felt. I haven't felt this way about a show in so long. Like, I'm just gonna plug it for five seconds. Like, really and truly. Like, I literally think it is one of the. It is so hard to have a show be not soapy, but have those soapy plot twists and still be so grounded in these, like, incredible themes. And, like, I think it does such a good job of doing that. Like, oh, my God, in the last episode, episode four, when she. When Shailene, Woodley and Sterling are walking down the road and she's like, do not look at those people and do not say hi. But he has that hope and that faith in humanity. So he says hi, and then he's able to go back later and have them help her give birth and, like, have that, like, hope. Oh, my. I just think it's so moving. I think it is, like, really and truly the best show on television. I'm so, like, so happy you're in it. I'm so happy for you. I think it is seriously the best show on tv.

[Thomas Doherty]

Aw, thank you.

[Will Hunt]

Boy, it is so good.

[Thomas Doherty]

Thank you, man.

[Will Hunt]

Yeah. Anyway, back to this girl.

[Thomas Doherty]

What was the. What was the question?

[Will Hunt]

How do you remind yourself to slow down?

[Thomas Doherty]

That was it. So my mom actually bought me a little stocking filler. My mom still gives me stockings.

[Will Hunt]

Oh, that's cute. You're so Scottish.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. And she put a little book and three things. So the start of the day, I'll meditate and then I'll Read this.

[Will Hunt]

How do you meditate?

[Thomas Doherty]

It's called transcendental meditation.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, and what is that?

[Thomas Doherty]

You have a mantra, and you just sit down and you do the mantra for 20 minutes.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. Can we try to do it for, like, two minutes?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Okay, so let's say the mantra is O Ing.

[Will Hunt]

Okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

Okay. And so you just sit here. And this is all in my brain.

[Will Hunt]

Okay. So I don't say it out loud.

[Thomas Doherty]

Say out loud. But this is your brain. You go, okay. And then you'll find, like, some silence, and it will maybe be, like, half a second, and then your brain will start up again. And then you just keep going back to this mantra. And, like, sometimes I'll be sitting there for 20 minutes and my brain's just going mental. But you just go back to the mantra every time. So you're not forcing anything. You know, you're also trying not to achieve a certain state. You're just trying to be honest with where you are.

[Will Hunt]

Okay.

[Thomas Doherty]

When it's, like, the truth of where you are, then you can. Then you can move from the knowing. But if you try and, like, superficially develop a state, you then deny. Because I always feel like negative emotions are always trying to tell you something. And so if you try and get away from them, you're never going to learn what you need to learn.

[Will Hunt]

Okay, well, then that is what we prescribe. Well, Thomas, is that it? Oh, my God. Are you having the best time ever?

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. I feel like we're just warming up.

[Will Hunt]

We kind of did that. Yeah, we kind of did that. How amazing was that? Like, genuinely fabulous. That was so awesome. Thomas, what did we learn today?

[Thomas Doherty]

What did we learn today? What did you learn today?

[Will Hunt]

I learned. You don't want to know what my real takeaway from this was. I need to stop being scared. Like, letting the idea that bad things are gonna happen stop me from being happy. Because they are going to happen. And I need. I. I need to find peace in the fact that they are going to happen. And I need to be able to allow myself to experience joy in some capacity. That is what I took away from this.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. And also to add to that, the more that you ruminate on something bad happening, the likelihood it's gonna happen.

[Will Hunt]

No, I know. It literally. Wait, I can't.

[Thomas Doherty]

So, like, if you're, like, constantly thinking, that's.

[Will Hunt]

No, I know.

[Thomas Doherty]

You're generating energetically, and so you're attracting that.

[Will Hunt]

I know, I know, I know, I know. What did you learn today?

[Thomas Doherty]

I learned that. I guess I kind of reaffirmed a lot of things. Like reminding myself. It's so nice being able to, like, speak with you and just. Yeah. Reaffirmed. And it's a journey. Do you know, I'm not sitting from any place of. I guess that's what I learned. I'm speaking as if I've, like, made it. But you never do. And I'm very much in a process as well. And people are just at different stages in their process and.

[Will Hunt]

But I feel like you're not speaking from, like, oh, I made it professionally. You're speaking of, like. I feel like I'm at a good place in my life, personally and mentally.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Because then everything else takes care of itself.

[Will Hunt]

Right.

[Thomas Doherty]

You don't even have to think about.

[Will Hunt]

Right.

[Thomas Doherty]

It's almost like. Like a cheat sheet. You, like, fall in love with who you are. You accept the good and the bad of who you are. And you can stand with that. Everything else will just take care of itself instead of individually trying to fix everything.

[Will Hunt]

I love that.

[Thomas Doherty]

Yeah. Wow. I love you.

[Will Hunt]

And I love you.

[Thomas Doherty]

Oh, I love you.

[Will Hunt]

That was so fun.

[Thomas Doherty]

Thank you.

[Will Hunt]

Will you give a little. Bye, pussies.

[Thomas Doherty]

Bye, pussies.

[Will Hunt]

Spring just slid into your DMs. Grab that boho. Look for that rooftop dinner. Those sandals that can keep up with you. And hang some string lights to give your patio a glow up. Spring's calling, Ross. Work your magic.