Who Plays ‘Link’ On ‘Paradise Season 2’? Meet Thomas Doherty Who Acted In Disney’s ‘Descendants 2’

Paradise is an American post-apocalyptic political thriller series which initially dropped on January 26, 2025. Within a month, owing to its popularity and its quickly growing fan base, the series was renewed for a second season in February 2025. After nearly a year-long wait, die-hard fans of the series are thrilled since Paradise Season 2 just dropped on February 23, 2026. Well, as you might already expect, a new season means a new set of cast members. 

It is worth noting that the season 1 stars of Paradise are also set to make an appearance on the show. Before we get to see the OG cast, however, season 2 travels back to “The Day” when the world changed forever. This is when the newbies, Shailene Woodley, who plays ‘Annie’ and Thomas Doherty, who plays ‘Link’, are introduced to us for the first time. Now, as soon as the first few episodes of Paradise 2 dropped, fans’ curiosity regarding Thomas Doherty has skyrocketed. If you, too, are interested in knowing more about him and his character in Paradise 2, keep reading.  

Thomas Doherty’s early life 

Thomas Doherty was born on April 21, 1995, in Edinburgh. His parents were in the banking industry. In his family, Thomas also has two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister. Coming to his education, he attended the Royal High School in Edinburgh. Wanting to study musical theatre after high school, he went on to attend the MGA Academy of Performing Arts, also located in Edinburgh. From here, Thomas graduated nearly ten years ago, in July 2015, following which he signed a contract with Olivia Bell Management in London. 

Thomas Doherty’s acting career and why he looks so familiar  

After Thomas Doherty’s graduation, he worked at the Tigerlily restaurant in Edinburgh. Not wanting to give up on his dream of becoming an actor, he started auditioning for Disney Channel’s The Lodge while also with the Edinburgh Fringe on his day off. Well, his efforts paid off as he successfully landed the role of ‘Sean Matthews’ in The Lodge. It is worth noting that Thomas Doherty also appeared in the second series of the much-loved show, which premiered in June 2017.  

Notably, after the first season of The Lodge, Thomas Doherty appeared on one of Disney’s most well-known franchises, Descendants. While he was not there in the first film, Thomas appeared in the second instalment of the franchise, Descendants 2. Here, he played the role of ‘Harry Hook’, son of the evil ‘Captain James Hook’ from Peter Pan. While the film premiered in 2017, Thomas went on to reprise his role in Descendants 3, which was released in 2019. That year, Thomas also starred in the CW series, Legacies as ‘Sebastian.’ he continued to appear on the show until 2020.

One of his most popular roles came a year later in 2021 when Thomas began starring in Gossip Girl, the HBO Max teen drama and a reboot of the original series of the same name. Later, he also starred in a supernatural horror film called The Invitation alongside Nathalie Emmanuel. 2025 was a big year for the actor as he made his New York stage debut in the revival of Little Shop of Horrors as ‘Seymour Krelborn’ in an off-Broadway production. Another one of his most recent works, which you have likely seen him in before he joined the cast of Paradise Season 2, includes Season 2 of Hulu’s hit series, Tell Me Lies, where Thomas played the role of ‘Leo’.  

What do we know about Thomas Doherty’s ‘Link’ in Paradise 2, and what he has said about his role

In the new season of Paradise 2, Thomas Doherty plays the role of ‘Link’. In the first three episodes, which have already dropped on February 23, 2026, Thomas’ ‘Link’ and fellow newbie, Shailene Woodley’s ‘Annie’ can be seen trying to navigate the destruction outside the Colorado billionaire bunker. ‘Link’ is introduced as a survivor who is travelling with a group of people in search of the Colorado bunker. It is during his search that he comes across ‘Annie’. Thomas Doherty looks almost unrecognisable playing ‘Link’, whose burly beard and unkempt appearance often tend to make him look like a leader. However, as the episode goes on, we soon come to realise that his character is one full of heart, humour, and interestingly, a few secrets.  

Recently, Thomas Doherty revealed his thoughts on playing ‘Link’ and his experience on Dan Fogelman’s set ahead of the Paradise Season 2 premiere. He claimed that he is truly fortunate to have worked with everyone. Additionally, seeing his fellow cast members, like Julianne and Sterling, made him reflect on himself and self-evaluate. In his words: 

“It taught me that I’m so fortunate in my life, and I get to work with the people that I work with, and experience the things I get to experience because of other people in my life. I can’t take any credit ultimately. That’s what Paradise taught me. Being around people like Julianne and Sterling, being around Shailene, and everyone on the cast — to see the successes of these people, and the gifts, and the talent of these people and the overriding humility of all of them, that really made me self-evaluate. It really made me look at where I am, and how I am, where I am. And the credit goes to other people, or to the universe, or whatever it is you believe.” 

What are your thoughts on Thomas Doherty and his character, ‘Link’, on Paradise Season 2? Let us know.  

Also read: WNBA Star Kara Braxton Dies At 43, Her Basketball Career, Personal Life, Net Worth And More Explored