Ep 73: Thomas Doherty, Actor

My guest on this episode of the Hometown to Hollywood podcast is Thomas Doherty. His hometown is Edinburgh, Scotland!

Thomas is best known for his work playing Harry Hook in Descendants 2, and Sean in The Lodge. His movie High Strung Free Dance will be out in 2018, and he’s about to begin production on Descendants 3 in Vancouver.

We delve into the more spiritual and philosophical side of being an actor, while discovering some seriously great stories (Thomas led a true double life for 4 years while he hid his passion for musical theatre, Billy-Elliot style). He shares his secret to both peace of mind and compelling acting (meditation) and finding happiness. Join us!

Some of my favorite quotes from this inspiring interview:

• “To me, the idolizing turned to appreciating.”
• “I thought, ‘is their opinion really more important than what I want to do?’ And I realized it wasn’t.”
• “It wasn’t cool to be doing (theatre and dance). So I went in secret, like a Billy Elliot story. I did that for 4 years.”
• “Keep learning, keep growing, keep going to dance classes.”
• “Always work on your weaknesses, because you become a more rounded, wholesome performer.”
• “The best advice I could give you is to meditate. You get into your body, out of your mind, and more present. And it shows on camera.”
• On Hollywood: “There’s just all this possibility. It’s not the possibility that you thought it would be… but it’s fantastic.”
• “Fame and fortune can’t make you happy… you experience happiness inside yourself.”
• “You’ve got to stumble before you can walk.”
• “I guess the ultimate success is to be happy.”

Follow Thomas online here:

Twitter: @thomasadoherty

Instagram: @thomasadoherty

Both accounts are verified with the little blue checkmark.

Thomas makes it clear that a great deal of success in Hollywood-- or in life in general-- is due to your internal condition. You can understand all the basics of how to do something, but if you are missing a healthy mindset, you will never experience the joy you seek-- and probably not achieve your professional goals either. This echoes my experience too.

Sometimes a slightly different approach is all it takes to get some traction in this industry. If you need help geting your young actor's career off the ground, book a consultation with me over Skype or in LA. A single session can answer your questions, give you an action plan, and peace of mind.