Netflix You actor Penn Badgley's life off-screen from body dysmorphia to Blake Lively romance
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from You on Netflix.
Penn Badgley has a knack for captivating his audience, whether it's in the teen drama Gossip Girl or the psychological thriller You.
The fifth season of You marks the final chapter in Joe Goldberg's (portrayed by Penn Badgley) twisted narrative as he returns to New York with his wife Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie) at his side.
They are perceived as a "power couple", with Joe being affectionately referred to as "Prince Charming" by the media. But how long can he truly resist succumbing to his dark urges?
With the release of You season five on
Netflix
, subscribers are keen to learn everything they can about Penn Badgley as he takes his final bow as Joe Goldberg.
Will And Grace
Badgley began acting at a very young age, and his first-ever screen role was in the iconic NBC comedy Will And Grace in 1999.
He played a young boy named Todd in the ninth episode of the second season, I Never Promised You An Olive Garden.
You star Penn Badgley starred in an episode of Will And Grace season two back in 1999.
(Image: NBC)
Todd is portrayed as a bully who torments another boy until Jack (Sean Hayes) intervenes to try and protect him while Karen (Megan Mullally) is meeting with a teacher about her step-son.
Body dysmorphia
At the age of 14, Badgley secured a multi-episode arc in The Young And The Restless and it was during the start of his career that his parents were going through a divorce.
He told The Guardian that acting provided "an opportunity to put a pause on the collapsing family dynamic, sort of have this escape, or this fantasy".
Penn Badgley opened up about the struggles he faced with body image after stepping into the spotlight, revealing that he suffered from body dysmorphia and often compared himself to other actors.
"I know that I hated my body and simply wanted a different one," he shared candidly.
"There was just a period where, coming out of depression and isolation, I was jumping wilfully into, but also being thrust into, this world where the more conventionally beautiful I seemed, the more successful I might be, the more value I might have.
"There's no way to get past the superficiality of this work, and if you recognise that, you can't help but recognise the superficiality of our culture, because of the way it rewards this work."
Gossip Girl
The actor is best known for his role in the hit series Gossip Girl, where he played Dan Humphrey starting in 2007, alongside stars like Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Ed Westwick.
Despite the character's central role over six seasons, Badgley wasn't initially keen on joining the show.
Speaking to Capital FM, he admitted, "I just didn't want to do it. I was pretty certain I didn't want to do anymore television.
"It just wasn't an interesting role to me, which even the creators of the show recognised when they propositioned it."
"They said, 'You might feel like you've already done this, but please take a look at it.' "And I did take a look at it and I respectfully declined. I said, 'Thank you for thinking of me'.
"And then I came back like a month later and had a somewhat of an impassioned plea, and I'm indebted to their persistence."
Gossip Girl: Dan Humphrey and Serena Van Der Woodsen played by Penn Badgley and Blake Lively.
(Image: WARNER BROS TELEVISION)
Blake Lively
Badgley dated his Gossip GIrl co-star Blake Lively who was behind his on-screen love interest Serena Van Der Woodsen.
Their relationship ended in 2010, with fame and hectic schedules cited as reasons for the split.
Remarkably, the duo managed to keep their separation under wraps from the rest of the cast and crew during the show's production.
Executive producer Joshua Safran revealed to Vanity Fair in 2017: "I found out on the set of the season two finale that Blake and Penn had broken up months before.
"They kept the breakup hidden from the crew, which you could never do now.
"I don't even know how they did it. They kept it from everybody which is a testament to how good they are as actors.
'Because they did not want their personal drama to relate to the show."
Graphic You scenes
On one side of You, there is plenty of romance and lustful moments but on the other, it is filled with dark and twisted scenes, more often than not ending in violence and murder.
And even though Badgley may be used to shooting these moments, they aren't always the easiest.
Actor Penn Badgley and his wife singer Domino Kirke in 2024.
(Image: GETTY)
Opening up on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the actor said: "I'm not precious about it — about my process in any way — but there have been a few times where I've spontaneously become nauseous.'
He went on to talk about the preparation for a particularly gruesome scene in series four: "They sprayed me down with blood fully . . . [and] I walk into this room they've created.
'It's full of smoke, and dark fake blood all over a table, and a table saw with meat on it . . . Your nervous system is just like, 'No!'"
But Badgley uses this sickening feeling to help him portray Joe, adding: "He's your likable serial killer. I just let the nausea come through."
Family life
Badgley is married to British-American singer Domino Kirke, the sister of HBO's Girls star Jemima Kirke.
The pair reportedly met at a meatball shop in 2014 when he was 'couch surfing' and even though he turned her down when she offered him a place to sleep, they did exchange numbers.
Fast-forward to 2017 and Badgley and Kirke got married in a New York courthouse and he became the step-father of her son.
Three years later, they announced they were expecting their first child together and their son James was born in August 2020.
Last month, the stars once again shared that their family was going to get even bigger, announcing that she is expecting twins.
You is available to watch on Netflix.
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