If you started watching Paradise Season 2 on Hulu and found yourself asking, “Wait, where do I know that guy from?”โyou are not alone. The Scottish actor playing the mysterious new character Link has been popping up everywhere lately, and his face is triggering serious recognition for viewers.
Thomas Doherty, the 30-year-old Edinburgh native, joins the cast of the hit political thriller as Link, a gang leader who makes his way into the underground community with unclear intentions. But for many fans, his arrival on screen comes with that nagging feeling: we have definitely seen him before.
Here is a breakdown of exactly where you recognize Thomas Doherty from and what his addition means for Paradise Season 2.
From Disney Channel to Dark Thrillers
For younger viewers, the first time they spotted Thomas Doherty was likely on the Disney Channel. The actor played Harry Hook, the son of Captain Hook, in the popular Descendants 2 and Descendants 3 movies. His bad-boy pirate persona, complete with British accent and rebellious attitude, made him a favorite among the teen audience .
That role gave Doherty his first major exposure, but he quickly moved on to more mature projects. After leaving Neverland behind, he showed up in the Gossip Girl reboot on HBO Max, playing Max Wolfe, a wealthy and complicated private school student who quickly became a fan favorite. His character was known for his charm, his complicated family dynamics, and his open approach to relationships .
Recent Roles You Might Have Caught
If you are a fan of drama series, you might recognize Doherty from the Hulu series Tell Me Lies. He joined the cast as Leo, a new love interest for Lucy Albright in the second season. The show, which follows the toxic and tangled relationships of a group of college friends, gave Doherty the chance to play someone more grounded and emotionally vulnerable compared to his previous roles .
For horror fans, Doherty appeared in the 2022 film The Invitation, where he played a mysterious and charming aristocrat named De Ville. The movie followed a young woman who discovers she is related to a wealthy family and attends a wedding in England, only to uncover dark secrets about her new relatives. The role played perfectly into Doherty’s ability to balance charm with something much more sinister lurking underneath .
What His ‘Paradise’ Role Means for Season 2
In Paradise Season 2, Thomas Doherty plays Link, described as a gang leader from the outside world who attempts to infiltrate the underground community and expose its secrets. The show, which stars Sterling K. Brown as Secret Service agent Xavier Collins, follows survivors living in a bunker after a catastrophic event destroyed most of Earth’s population .
Sterling K. Brown spoke about working with the new cast members, including Doherty. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brown emphasized how the new characters shake up the dynamic of the show. “Xavier’s out in the world. He’s looking for his wife, trying to find her. We see how people have been surviving that didn’t have the means and the planning that the people inside the bunker did. We meet people who are benign. We meet people who are nefarious,” Brown explained .
Link falls into the more dangerous category. According to ScreenRant’s character guide, it remains unclear whether Link is friend or foe, but his mission to infiltrate Paradise and expose its secrets positions him as a potential wild card in the already tense storyline .
A Rising Star With Range
What makes Thomas Doherty such an interesting addition to the Paradise cast is his range. He started with family-friendly Disney projects, moved into teen dramas, and now finds himself in a complex sci-fi thriller alongside Emmy winners and nominees.
Brown had nothing but positive things to say about his new castmate. “I made a friend, that’s really the biggest thing. It’s always great when you hire wonderful people that are good at what they do, but when you actually make a friend that’s even cooler,” Brown told Entertainment Weekly. “She’s sweet, honest, open, ready to play, and very professional. I expected all of those things of her. But to have met her and to have played with her in the sandbox, it was everything and more” .
More New Faces Joining the Cast
Doherty is not the only fresh face in Paradise Season 2. The show also brings in Shailene Woodley as Annie, a former Graceland tour guide who survived outside the bunker and becomes a key ally for Xavier. Woodley brings her own impressive resume to the series, with credits including Big Little Lies, The Descendants, and the Divergent series .
According to early episodes, Annie’s backstory reveals she was a third-year medical student who dropped out due to panic attacks before taking the Graceland job. When the apocalypse hit, she found herself working at Elvis Presley’s former home, which became her personal fallout shelter .
Where to Watch Paradise Season 2
Paradise Season 2 premiered on February 23, 2026, on Hulu in the United States. The first three episodes dropped together, with remaining episodes releasing weekly on Mondays. The season will consist of eight episodes total, concluding on March 30, 2026 .
For viewers in India, the show streams on JioHotstar. Canadian audiences can watch on Hulu through Disney+ .
What Critics Are Saying About the New Season
Early reactions to Paradise Season 2 praise the show’s expansion beyond the bunker. After spending the entire first season inside the underground community, the decision to explore the outside world transforms the series from a contained thriller into a broader post-apocalyptic epic .
The addition of Doherty and Woodley brings fresh energy to the show. Woodley’s performance, in particular, has been highlighted as a standout. Yahoo Canada described her work as “incredibly moving and powerful” and “a real standout in the series” .
The production design also earns high marks, with the recreation of Graceland impressing even the cast. Brown shared a story about how the head of makeup fooled her own family by sending them photos from the set, making them believe she was actually at the real Graceland .
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The Bottom Line
If you could not place Thomas Doherty when he first appeared on screen in Paradise Season 2, now you know. He is the Scottish actor who went from Disney pirate to HBO heartthrob to Hulu thriller villain. His career trajectory shows someone intentionally choosing diverse roles, and his addition to an already stacked cast suggests Paradise is not slowing down anytime soon.
With the show exploring life both inside and outside the bunker, Doherty’s Link represents the unknown dangers of the surface world. Whether he helps Xavier or becomes another obstacle in his mission to find his wife remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Thomas Doherty is no longer just that guy you recognize from somewhere. He is officially a name to watch.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on your favorite shows and exclusive interviews with the cast of Paradise.
