While “Gossip Girl” fans and its creator have expressed hope that the series finds a new home after being canceled by HBO Max, star Thomas Doherty is “ready to move on” from the teen drama reboot.
“When it’s done, it’s done — you don’t want to beat a dead horse — and I think it’s important to [not] try and force something like this,” Doherty told TheWrap Thursday. “I feel like I’ve definitely come to accept it. I’ve loved being on the show — it’s served such a huge part of my life — and so it’s been so influential in my career. But I’m definitely ready to move on to the next thing.”
Amid HBO Max removing original and title shows from its platform, some of which will be licensed to third party FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) like Amazon’s Freevee or Roku Channel, Doherty says the cast was “completely in the dark” about the cancellation.
“[We] didn’t have any idea what was happening,” he said. “I don’t think anyone did.”
Despite an initial wave of disappointment, Doherty acknowledges that “it’s the nature of the beast” when it comes to working in film and TV.
“It’s sad to close a chapter, but I’m so grateful for the show — [it] has brought me to a city that I love, people in my life [that will] be in it for a long time,” he said, calling his experience “amazing.” “It’s easy to see the sad side of it, but I’m actually looking at it very, very positively, feeling grateful.”
Doherty’s reflective mentality leans on a Scottish phrase that his grandmother often said, “Whit’s fur ye’ll bo go by ye” – which translates roughly to, “What’s for you won’t go by you.”
“If it’s right, it’s right; if it’s not, it’s not,” he explained. “I try not to worry too much about things like that.”
Doherty also recalled that though his cast mates were saddened by the news, they all shared a similar attitude of gratitude while being “ready to move on.”
“It played a great role, we loved it when we did it, but we’re all ready to move on to the next thing,” he said. “Being an actor, you can be on a show and then just unemployed … which I really love that challenge. People don’t love like uncertainty, but I can thrive under pressure.”
