Penn Badgley is one of the most talked-about people in the world, with the 38-year-old actor returning to our screens this month in the fifth and final season of You.
And from his past A-list relationships to his sweet family life with US singer Domino Kirke, Badgley is making non-stop headlines.
This week, it was his acting credits that got the world talking, with Badgley known for his major roles in Gossip Girl, Easy A and John Tucker Must Die, before taking on the role of You’s Joe Goldberg.
As Badgley returns to the spotlight this season, we look back at his past movies and shows.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022)
Penn Badgley movies and shows
Penn Badgley movies
- The Birthday Cake (2021)
- Here Today (2021)
- Adam Green’s Aladdin (2016)
- The Paper Store (2016)
- Cymbeline (2014)
- Parts Per Billion (2014)
- Greetings from Tim Buckley (2012)
- East of Eden (2012)
- Margin Call (2011)
- Easy A (2010)
- The Stepfather (2009)
- Forever Strong (2008)
- Drive Thru (2007)
- John Tucker Must Die (2006)
- Debating Robert Lee (2004)
- The Fluffer (2001)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Penn Badgley shows
- You (2018-2023)
- The Slap (2015)
- Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
- The Bedford Diaries (2006)
- The Mountain (2004-2005)
- Do Over (2002-2003)
- The Twilight Zone (2003)
- What I like About You (2002)
- The Brothers Garcia (2000-2002)
- Bull (2000-2001)
- Daddio (2000)
- The Young and the Restless (2000)
- Will & Grace (1999)
Penn Badgley Easy A
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One of Badgley’s most famous film roles was in 2010 romantic comedy Easy A, starring alongside Emma Stone.
The high school comedy follows Olive (Emma Stone), as a lie about her losing her virginity gets out of hand. Badgley plays Olive’s love interest, Woodchuck Todd, with the pair praised for their onscreen chemistry.
Despite it being such a prominent role for Badgley, he was actually only on set for eight days, flying back and forth to film the third season of Gossip Girl.
However, despite his limited time on set, Badgley described filming Easy A as “a blast” and “a nice departure from what [he’s] normally done” in an interview with Moviefone at the Toronto Film Festival.
He has also opened up about working with Stone, enthusing: “Emma is great. She’s super-talented. I hope she gets all the attention she deserves from this film. I hope she goes to the top. She’s able to deadpan.”
Penn Badgley Gossip Girl
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Badgley gained real recognition in Gossip Girl, starring in the CW show from 2007 to 2012 as ‘lonely boy’, Dan Humphrey.
However, despite the role making him a household name, Badgley reportedly had major reservations in the beginning, turning down the role multiple times.
“I just didn’t want to do it,” the actor recalled in an interview with Capital FM. “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.
He continued: “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.”
Penn Badgley You
(Image credit: Netflix)
Penn Badgley’s most recent success is in Netflix thriller series, You, where he stars as serial killer Joe Goldberg.
The psychological horror series, based on the novel by Caroline Kepnes, has been a cult classic since its first season release in 2018, with this month’s instalment being the fifth and final season.
However, despite its undeniable success, Badgley once more wasn’t sure about taking on the role, previously explaining his mixed feelings in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“I didn’t want to do it,” Badgley has explained of his reluctance to play Goldberg. “It was too much. I was conflicted with the nature of the role.”
He continued: “If this is a love story, what is it saying? It’s not an average show; it’s a social experiment. And then what was key in me wanting to jump on board were my conversations with Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, the creators, and understanding Joe’s humanity.
“I knew that I would be conflicted about the role from day one till the last day, and that is why they thought I would be good for it, is that I’m not psyched to play somebody of this nature.”
(Image credit: Netflix)
“It does take a toll,” Badgley has previously explained of playing the role on The Radio Times Podcast. “The way that it lingers is in the energy that it takes. When you fake-strangle somebody, your nervous system doesn’t quite know that you’re not strangling someone. When you see fake blood and you’re [pretending to] stab someone – your physical system isn’t used to seeing something visceral like that and it being fake.”
All 10 episodes of You‘s fifth and final season will be available to watch on Netflix on 24 April 2025.