After his 2015 graduation, Doherty waited tables in Edinburgh at Tigerlilly restaurant. He was offered the role of Sean Matthews in
The Lodge, and had to undergo intensive training in mountain biking to prepare for the role.
The Lodge was filmed in
Belfast, Northern Ireland. He stated that he was able to play the character as a
Scot, but he toned down his accent in order to better accommodate the viewers in all 108 countries that
The Lodge aired in. In 2016, Doherty auditioned for
Descendants 2 and was cast as Harry Hook, the son of villain
Captain James Hook from
Peter Pan. He reprised his role as Harry Hook in the third installment of the
Disney Channel franchise,
Descendants 3 which premiered in 2019. In August 2017, Doherty was named one of "The 50 Fittest Boys of 2017" by
Vogue magazine. From 2019 to 2020, he appeared in the
CW series
Legacies as Sebastian. In 2021, Doherty began starring in the
HBO Max teen drama
Gossip Girl. The following year, he starred alongside
Nathalie Emmanuel in the supernatural horror film
The Invitation. On September 5, 2025, he made his New York stage debut in the
Off-Broadway revival of
Little Shop of Horrors as Seymour Krelborn opposite
Madeline Brewer as Audrey. ==Personal life==