Thomas Doherty is the attractive boyfriend from TV dreams

As Leo (Thomas Doherty) in episode 1 of the second season of Hulu’s Tell me lieshe's just returned from studying abroad in Paris. He meets Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and they have great chemistry. Their first date is full of sweet banter. But since this is one of the craziest shows on TV (for free), Leo isn't quite what he seems.

At the end of episode 2, Leo and Lucy are having a nice coffee date when Lucy bumps into a guy who just spilled coffee on him. Leo reacts aggressively to the accident. In truly Tell me lies Leo headbutts the guy.

It's a shocking moment, but in a show that's constantly pushing the envelope, Leo headbutting a random asshole seems pretty harmless.

Tell me liesbased on the 2018 novel of the same name by Carola Lovering, follows the psychotic relationship between Lucy and Stephen (Jackson White), which begins in college in 2007 and becomes increasingly convoluted over the course of eight years. It's a delicious confection, like The WB meets a '90s Fox-era late-night soap. Season 2 arrives two years after the series premiered in 2022, which first introduced us to Lucy and Stephen's friend group at the fictional Baird College – and all of their incestuous group dynamics.

Over Zoom, Doherty tells The Daily Beast's Obsessed that he was a fan of the show even before he was cast. He rewatched the series after a call from his agent telling him the show was casting a new character. His character, Leo, is Lucy's new lover, aside from his temper tantrums, and a perfect foil to Stephen, who is, quite simply, a complete sociopath. But at first, especially after that headbutt, that refreshing sanity isn't apparent.

When asked about the headbutt, Doherty jokes that this is where his PR training comes in: “In Scotland, where I'm from, they don't call it a headbutt. In Glasgow, they call it a Glasgow Kiss. ​​If you ever come to Scotland and someone offers you a Glasgow Kiss – run away.”

Doherty's Leo brings a new dimension to Lucy and Stephen's relationship this season – presenting a real romantic obstacle to the lovers' unwavering bond. Doherty is no newcomer to drama or complicated relationships, having played pansexual womanizer Max Wolfe in the sorely missed gossip Girl Restart. He raves about working on Tell me lies– after meeting Van Patten for coffee before her chemistry test and then being assigned the role of Leo.

Leo is something of an outsider in a show full of pretty unlikable people. Despite all the head-butting, Leo is a guy who is desperately trying to improve himself and is open and honest about his feelings. That's something that attracted him. “I'm 29, but I remember seeing a lot of myself in Leo at that age, that fear and desire to be better, to be a good person. That self-improvement, but not quite there yet. There's nothing better than that when you're an actor, when you have a deeper connection to the character and can bring your own life experiences to that character.”

He also credits much of Leo to working with Van Patten, noting that as a viewer who knows Lucy's situation with Stephen, it will be hard to trust Leo at first, especially after that headbutt. “When I worked with Grace, I thought if I could spend the rest of my career with Grace, I would be a happy man. She's incredible. Incredible actress, incredible human being,” he says, noting that he has actually worked with Grace's younger sister. gossip GirlHe jokes that he will continue to work with all the Van Pattens in the future.

Max

Leo is the anti-Stephen in many ways. Combined with Doherty's god-given jawline, you want to root for Lucy and Leo to make it work, despite Lucy's tendency to destroy anything good that comes her way. Doherty can't go into too much detail about what Leo is up against, but he does note that the character adds something new to the Baird College group to the series.

“Leo strives to be honest and a good person who doesn't want to get involved in politics and is definitely on a path of self-improvement,” he says. “And that's what's amazing about the show, too, because no matter who you are or how old you are, you can definitely see yourself in at least one of the characters. I think Leo brings this different dynamic to the group that's already there, and that's refreshing.”

Aside from being able to live out his American college fantasies, since Doherty studied in Scotland – “I was just thinking the red mugs!” he giggles about the standard red mason jar chosen at college beer parties – he can also do some comedy. That's one of Leo's other attractive qualities compared to Stephen, he's funny and light in contrast to Stephen's dark cloud, slightly Eeyore-like energy.

That's what stands out on their first date in Episode 2. Lucy and Leo have an adorable conversation about how evil Stephen is, and exchange dark jokes about him killing dogs (which, honestly, seems like something he wouldn't do). not Comedy is something Doherty wants to do more of. He mentions how funny everyone on the Tell me lies The cast is despite the heaviness of the show.

Earlier this year, Doherty sank his “fox teeth” – more on that in a minute – into the role of the Harry Styles-esque Gray Holland in a three-part storyline in the third season of the criminally underrated and hilarious Girls5Eva about a girl group from the 2000s who get back together in their forties and try again to become musically famous.

Emily V. Aragones/Netflix

To avoid becoming famous, Gray disguises himself as a trucker and meets Gloria (Paula Pell) at the Macaroni Rascals chain of Italian food. When he realizes that she has no idea who he is, he becomes friends with her, which eventually leads him to meet the rest of the group. Doherty is hilariously funny on the show and also sings all of his songs, which as a viewer of the series you probably have on a playlist somewhere.

Doherty had a blast working on the show, even though working with such legendary comedy and musical actors was a little intimidating.

He mentions that there were moments when he had to ask Renée Elise Goldsberry or Pell not to look directly at him so he wouldn't laugh. Working with Pell, with whom he shot most of his scenes, was a particular pleasure. “I love this woman. She's just incredible. What you see is what you get. She's so famous and so successful, but she's just so humble. Such a beautiful woman and just so funny,” he says.

Doherty's story as Gray Holland ends with one of the most horrifying sights of 2024, when Gloria helps him give up his fame by faking his death and replacing his real teeth with fox teeth that Doherty has saved and keeps somewhere in the new Brooklyn apartment he just moved into.

As you might expect, singing a song with fox teeth and a full beard wasn't easy. “I think we did it in one take. It was so hard to do and the teeth were really jagged. It was so painful but it was really quick. Then we had the beard and stuff. I put the teeth in and just looked like a madman. It's absolutely ridiculous,” Doherty says, laughing.

Not only did he get to work with comedy legends and musical icons, but he also met his great celebrity love. “Growing up, I had a huge crush on Sara Bareilles. I never told her. When she released 'Love Song,' 13-year-old Thomas said, 'Oh, calm my beating heart.' I still listen to that song hundreds of times. I was in love with that woman and I remember walking onto the set on the first day and she said, 'Hi.' [And thinking that she’s thinking] 'Who is this strange grown man?'”

Both Girl 5Eva And Tell me lies are the kind of projects Doherty prefers for his work, but they are also the kinds of shows he wants to watch himself. He likes things that allow the viewer to immerse themselves in the worlds of the story, to get a respite from the mundanity of real life.

What Leo's return means for a possible third season of Tell me lieshe jokes that they'll put up a poster to convince them to bring him back. When asked what he thinks viewers should take away from the new season of the show, he recommends drinking a cup of chamomile tea to calm nerves while watching and offers some sage advice: “Don't headbutt people and don't go out with Lucy.”