Thomas Doherty Connected to Tell Me Lies’ Leo Through Shared Search for Identity

The character of Leo on Tell Me Lies was written as a new love interest for Lucy, but for actor Thomas Doherty, the role was much more personal. Joining the hit Hulu drama for its intense second season, Doherty found he didn’t have to look far to connect with his character’s core struggles. The actor has openly shared that he saw clear reflections of his own past in Leo’s journey of self-discovery and the challenges of early adulthood.

Why Thomas Doherty Felt a Personal Link to His Character

In interviews promoting the show, Doherty explained the specific life stage that made Leo relatable to him. He pointed to the universal experience of leaving home for the first time and the pressure to define oneself.

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“I guess that young adult, you leave home and you’re in college for the first time and you’re on your own and you’re trying to establish who you are as a person and create this sense of self, but you’re thrust into this environment with hundreds and thousands of other people doing the same thing,” Doherty told People magazine.

Doherty, now 29, stated, “I really saw a lot of my younger self in Leo, for sure.”. This connection went beyond surface-level traits. He particularly identified with Leo’s desire for growth. A key part of Leo’s storyline in Season 2 involves exploring a difficult past that shaped his anger issues, a narrative Doherty felt drawn to.

“You see later on in the series kind of why Leo is the way that Leo is. And I definitely identified a lot with him in that regard… wanting to be his own man and be a better person,” he said. “And I really, really love the desire for kind of self-improvement [Leo has].”

The actor even noted that he learned from Leo’s approach to obstacles, adopting some of the character’s introspection into his own life.

From Disney to Dark Drama: Doherty’s Career “Apprenticeship”

Doherty’s path to Tell Me Lies was not a straight line. In a recent podcast interview, he described his career as an “apprenticeship,” moving through different genres and roles. He first gained major attention playing Harry Hook, the son of Captain Hook, in Disney’s Descendants 2 and 3 films. This was followed by his role as the pansexual playboy Max Wolfe in the 2021 Gossip Girl reboot on HBO Max.

He has spoken about the challenge of transitioning from family-friendly projects to more mature roles, admitting he initially felt boxed in. However, he credits the 2024 indie film Dandelion, in which he starred opposite KiKi Layne, as a creative turning point where he began to take more ownership of his career direction. Joining the established cast of Tell Me Lies was another significant step. He called the experience “amazing,” praising the cast for being warm and welcoming despite his initial apprehension.

Building Chemistry with Grace Van Patten

A central part of Doherty’s role as Leo is his dynamic with Grace Van Patten’s Lucy. To ensure their on-screen connection felt real, the two actors took an unusual step before their official chemistry read. Doherty suggested they meet casually at a coffee shop first.

He admitted that after watching the first season, he expected to meet the guarded and complicated Lucy in person. He was pleasantly surprised to find Van Patten was completely different.

“I remember I walked into the coffee shop ready for Lucy, and then I just saw Grace pop up and I was like, ‘Oh.’ She was so lovely and bubbly,” Doherty recalled.

The strategy worked. Doherty raved about his co-star, saying, “If I had to do the rest of my career working with Grace, I’d be a happy man.”. Their natural rapport translated directly to the screen, helping to sell a complex relationship where Leo represents a potential safe harbor for Lucy amid her ongoing toxicity with Stephen (Jackson White).

The Intense Fan Reaction to Leo and Tell Me Lies

The fan response to Tell Me Lies Season 2 and Doherty’s character was immediate and overwhelming. Doherty confessed he was not prepared for it.

“I was not expecting it at all. I really wasn’t. It was huge. It was crazy,” he said.

The devotion reached an extreme peak when a fan once jumped out of a moving Uber in the middle of the road just to ask for his number—a request he obliged because of the sheer effort. The popularity of the show also pulled him into the world of fan edits on TikTok, an app he had to download just to see the content people were making about Leo and the series.

Looking Ahead for Leo and Thomas Doherty

The Season 2 finale left Leo’s future uncertain after a brutal breakup with Lucy and a physical fight with Stephen. While Season 3 details are being kept under wraps, Doherty has hinted that there is more to explore with his character. In an earlier interview, he teased, “Maybe Leo isn’t all that he seems. There is a lot to do with him.”.

Beyond Tell Me Lies, Doherty continues to expand his range. He recently made his New York stage debut playing Seymour in an Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, which runs through December 7, 2025.

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