“It's so weird. Sometimes people ask me for a picture, and I'm like, ‘Are you sure? I think you might have me confused.’”
Thomas Doherty Doesn't See Himself as the Breakout Star of 'Gossip Girl'. He's Wrong.
The phrase “scene stealer” gets tossed around a lot, but I don't think I've ever truly seen it in action until Thomas Doherty on Gossip Girl, now streaming on HBO Max. The 26-year-old stars as Max, a pansexual, pot-stirring lothario who most closely resembles Chuck Bass from the OG series. But…better. Way better. Though both characters gleefully embrace a hedonistic lifestyle and gift our eyes with some insane cheekbones, Max is more self-assured and lighthearted than his predecessor. He also asks for consent.
The fact that Max is the most interesting part of every scene he's in, no matter how small, is a testament to the series' great writing. But it'd be nothing without Doherty's clever delivery. He plays each moment with a half smirk, as if Max has a delicious secret about everyone in the room. It pops on screen. An example: When the main characters gather for the first time at Constance Billard, Max doesn't say much. He warmly greets his friends, sneaks in a quick flirt with Audrey, and listens as the others discuss the gossip of the day. And yet, you can't take your eyes off him. (Neither can Audrey.)
Halfway through the premiere, I turned to my husband and said, without even a touch of irony, “Oh, he's a star.” Of course, fans (and there are many) who caught the Scottish actor in Descendants 2 already knew this—but his role on Gossip Girl is the kind of juicy part that can level one up into a much bigger platform.
Not that Doherty views it that way. “The last Gossip Girl was so impactful because of the time,” he tells me. “I feel like now, with social media, with the saturation of content, I don't think it's going to be so intense.”
A good argument, but the fans and paparazzi who spent hours trailing the new GG set might say otherwise. “Sometimes people ask me for a picture," Doherty says. "And I'm like, ‘Are you sure? I think you might have me confused.’”
Oh, they're sure. Here, we caught up with Doherty to learn more about filming Gossip Girl, what he thinks about a season two, and so much more.
Glamour: The Gossip Girl premiere is finally here. How are you feeling?
Thomas Doherty: It's different because we're still in the middle of filming it, but I'm super excited. I'm so happy with the work that I've done—that we've all done. I think people are going to really love and enjoy it. I love doing it. For me, acting is not just about the final product; it's very much how you're doing it and the whole experience of it. And I've had such a good time. I'm excited for the rest of the season.
So tell me about your audition process. How did that go?
I was in Georgia shooting something else, and my girlfriend at the time was obsessed with Gossip Girl. This might have been in October 2019? She was watching it, so I kind of was there watching it with her. Then she left, and I was still in Georgia, and I just continued to watch it. I watched the whole thing at the ripe old age of 25. That December, I was told they're going to do another Gossip Girl. I was like, “That'd be really cool. I wonder what it's going to look like. I wonder who they're going to cast.”
And then I got called saying, “Do you want to audition for it?” So I went in and auditioned a few times on tape. I actually did it for another character as well, but Max is definitely much more suited to me. I got the call when I was in New Mexico that I'd gotten the job, and then obviously production shut down because of COVID. So I had a lot more time then expected to prepare, which is actually really, really good. I'm happy we had that extra time.
And how did you use that extra time?
I always start off with the physicality of the character, from the writing and from what Josh [Safran] told me he wanted the character to be. I got into my body and tried to find the way that he would sit, how he would stand, how he would move as he walked. From there, I formulated a foundation for how the character physically was, and I built upon that with the way that he spoke, how he enunciated things, and how he would look.
I always envision Max to have a joke at the back of his head, or that he knows something at the back of his head while everyone is speaking. It was a type of character I had never played. Max is a pansexual character, and that definitely taught me so much. It was a huge education in how I viewed identification with sexuality and how we're indoctrinated to think and feel and be a certain way. This really blew up everything wide open for me. Exploring that kind of thing was really, really interesting.
So what would you say was the easiest part of Max to tap into for you? Where did you feel the most connection to the character?
I'm quite cheeky, and I think Max is quite cheeky as well. Obviously when you're playing a character, you want to be able to draw upon things from your own experiences and your own style and try to integrate that with the character you're playing. That cheeky charming-ness was definitely something I brought to the character that I could do.
Let's go back to that October you were watching Gossip Girl. That was the first time you had seen it, correct?
That was the first time I had watched it.
What was your reaction to the show? You must've liked it because you stuck with it.
It was entertaining. It was ridiculous. This ridiculous life of wealth and glamour and opulence that you just don't ever come across in your day-to-day life. Well, it depends on who you are, but I certainly haven't been there. It was just entertaining and fun. The characters were really interesting, really good fun. It's ridiculous escapism.
When we interviewed writer and executive producer Josh Safran, he acknowledged there are a lot of similarities between Chuck Bass and Max. Was that in your head at all while filming? Was there anything you wanted to do to get away from the comparison?
There's obviously going to be the same dynamic, a framework that's very, very similar, with all the characters. So I guess mine would be most equated to Chuck out of everyone, just as Obie is most equated to Penn Badgley's character Dan.
In terms of the character, that's why I was lucky to have those months leading up to filming. They were important to me, because it really did allow me to create my own character void of Chuck, but also still being aware of the dynamic. As far as Max and Chuck, I actually think they're very different. They are both polished in their exterior, but Max is a lot more light. He has a much greater sense of self, so there's not a lot of insecurity with him. There's a much greater comfortability in the character separate from the others. Max is very, very much someone that does everything for the experience of it, as opposed to the end goal. Whereas, I feel like Chuck is more about the end goal. It'll be interesting to see what people think. Obviously there is going to be that comparison.
Was there a favorite scene that you filmed?
Yeah, I think the first scene we shot on the Met steps. For me that was very...it's such an iconic image. I think that's when I really was like, "Oh, shit, I'm doing Gossip Girl." And then there was a little bit of fans and paparazzi and all that kind of thing. I think that was probably my favorite day.
And then those pictures ended up all over Getty Images and social media…
It's nuts. It's so weird. Sometimes people ask me for a picture, and I'm like, “Are you sure? I think you might have me confused.”
It's not like this is your first acting gig. You've been working for a while. But with the first Gossip Girl, the cast became household names. Is that something you're preparing yourself for? That your life might change after this?
No, not really. I just take it as it comes, honestly. I think the last one was so impactful because of the time. I feel like now, with social media, with the saturation of content, I don't think it's going to be so intense. Honestly, I didn't really think about it. I just wait and see. I turn up, have as much fun as I can on set, and what will be, will be.
Did you always want to be an actor?
I always…well, I wanted to be a soccer player. I loved soccer. That was a very British thing—you want to be a soccer player when you're older. I gradually gravitated toward acting; there was never a moment. I think I watched Titanic and saw Leo when I was like 12 and thought, Oh, I can do that! That looks fun. But there was never a moment, like, “I'm going to be an actor.” It was a very gradual evolution. Still to this day, I feel like that. I always feel kind of weird when I'm like, “Yeah, I'm an actor.” I don't really perceive it that way. It's like, I act for now kind of thing. I love doing it and hope I continue to do it.
When you got the role, did you do anything to celebrate?
I went to the Cheesecake Factory and ordered so much food, and then went on a road trip with my then girlfriend.
OK, Cheesecake Factory is a pretty good celebration.
Oh my God. That menu. Fucking hell, it's like a Bible.
That's America for you.
I was like, I'm here. I made it to America.
Last question: A season two seems inevitable. If so, is there anything with Max you'd want to sink your teeth into?
I mean, it'd be amazing if there was a season two. The writers did an amazing job. They've created such a beautiful evolution of the character, so I trust them. In terms of what I'd like to see, I think he should go to the Caribbean for a month. [Laughs] No, I'm joking. I think it'd be interesting to continue to explore his dynamic with different sections of society. I think it's important to continue to broaden and continue to represent, and I think Max would have such an interesting time doing that.
Anna Moeslein is the deputy editor at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @annamoeslein.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Condé Nast
