Thomas Doherty Opens Up About Working With Shailene Woodley on 'Paradise' Season Two

Thomas Doherty is reflecting on his experience collaborating with Shailene Woodley on the latest season of Paradise.

The 31-year-old performer and 34-year-old actress both joined the Hulu series for its second season. In a recent appearance on Variety's Up Next podcast, Doherty discussed the impact of sharing the screen with someone he's admired for years.

Their opening scene together proved particularly memorable for Doherty. "The first scene we did on set together was arguably the hardest scene of this series for me and it was when, I go into, I'm in Graceland already and we're kind of mosying around the jungle room and then we come together and we kind of, there's that moment of vulnerability that happens and Shailene breaks down and then I get emotional and she kind of recovers herself, and then she breaks down again and it's so, I'm getting all flustered thinking about it. It was just incredible," he described.

Doherty emphasized his long-standing admiration for Woodley's craft. "Now, for context, I have looked up to Shailene for years. For years. I think she is a generational talent. I've never seen anyone drop into a character quite like her before," he shared.

When asked about his favorite performance from her, Doherty immediately pointed to Adrift. "If you've not watched Adrift, go and watch a masterpiece in acting of Shailene Woodley," he urged.

Prior to landing the Paradise role, Woodley consistently ranked among Doherty's top choices when discussing favorite performers. "So, I've been this humungous fan of Shailene, and in interviews and things, a lot of times, it's like, 'Who's your favorite actors?' And Shailene would always be in the top three, way before doing Paradise," he explained.

Learning he would be working alongside her came as thrilling news. "And then I found out I was going to be working with Shailene, I was like, 'Oh my god, oh my god.' And then, so we get on set and just, again, just a lovely, lovely human being. And then just drops into character and you're looking at someone different in the eyes, and then action, and she's starting and I'm just watching Shailene Woodley perform as if I'm watching a play," Doherty recounted.

The intensity of watching Woodley work proved distracting during their initial take. "Then my line's coming up and I'm thinking, 'Oh,' and then I'm doing this, and I'm like, 'Can we do all this again?' Because I'm just watching her. First take, useless. Completely useless. Absolutely," he admitted with a laugh.

Ultimately, the experience elevated Doherty's own performance. "When you work with such a good actor, they'll bring it out of you. and she did and I was locked in. I was there with her," he concluded.