Penn Badgley

Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix psychological thriller series You (2018–2025).

Badgley came to prominence playing Phillip Chancellor IV on the soap opera The Young and the Restless (2000–2001). He then featured in the comedy films John Tucker Must Die (2006), Drive-Thru (2007), and Easy A (2010), the thriller films The Stepfather (2009) and Margin Call (2011), the biographical film Greetings from Tim Buckley (2012), and the drama film The Paper Store (2016).

Early life and education

Penn Dayton Badgley was born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Duff and Lynne (Murphy) Badgley. His father had worked as a newspaper reporter and then as a carpenter and home builder and was the Green Party candidate for governor of Washington State in 2008.

An only child, before transferring to St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Virginia. He attended Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington. Badgley is said to have been home schooled alongside Blake Lively, his future co-star and partner. His parents divorced when he was 12.

As a child, Badgley was involved with the Seattle Children's Theatre and the Pine Nut Players community theater in Monroe, Washington. His mother supported his acting efforts and worked various jobs—later starting a jewelry design business with Badgley's godmother, Jan Sneed. He has said he "skipped high school altogether" and at age 14, he took a proficiency exam and began attending Santa Monica College. His first credit was voice work for the video games Mario Golf 64 and Mario Tennis 64 in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Badgley's first notable role was as Phillip Chancellor IV on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, which he portrayed from 2000 to 2001. He was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Daytime Series in 2001 for his performance.

In 2002, Badgley starred in The WB's comedy-drama fantasy series Do Over as Joel Larsen, a 34-year-old man who gets a second chance at life due to a strange accident that catapults him back to 1980 as a 14-year-old. He went on to star in two other WB series: The Mountain from 2004 to 2005, and The Bedford Diaries in 2006. In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $14.3 million, ranking third in the U.S. box office results for that weekend. He later appeared in Drive-Thru, co-starring future castmate Leighton Meester.

In 2007, Badgley was cast as Dan Humphrey in The CW's teen drama series Gossip Girl, based on the book series of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. He initially turned down the role, but accepted after the producers struggled to find someone else to fill the role. His performance as Dan was praised by audiences and critics alike, and earned him six Teen Choice Award nominations over the show's run. Jason Gay of the Rolling Stone particularly complimented his characterization, writing that "while another actor may have played Dan as a blah straight man, Badgley imbued him with an occasionally obnoxious know-it-all-ness." In 2009, Badgley starred in the thriller film The Stepfather, a remake of the 1987 film, as the stepson of a serial killer.

2010s

Badgley then played Todd, the love interest of Emma Stone's character, in the 2010 teen comedy film Easy A, which was a critical and commercial success, earning him a Teen Choice Award nomination. Next, he appeared in the financial thriller drama Margin Call in 2011, for which the ensemble cast was critically acclaimed. He won the Robert Altman Award as part of the cast, presented at the Independent Spirit Awards. In 2011, Badgley was named one of People's "25 Beauties (and Hotties) at 25", and BuddyTV ranked him number 75 on its "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2011" list.

Badgley portrayed musician Jeff Buckley in the 2012 biopic Greetings from Tim Buckley. The film follows Buckley's journey of grappling with the legacy of his late musician father, Tim, leading up to and culminating with his 1991 performance of his father's songs. For the role, Badgley took guitar and vocal lessons. In December 2012, he joined the cast of Parts per Billion, opposite Alexis Bledel and Teresa Palmer, which released in 2014. Also released in 2014 was crime triller Cymbeline, where he portrayed the orphan Posthumus.

Badgley had a recurring role in NBC's 2015 miniseries The Slap, based upon the Australian series of the same name, and had a minor role in the 2016 film Adam Green's Aladdin. Badgley won acclaim for his role in the independent film The Paper Store (2016), opposite Stef Dawson and Richard Kind, receiving Best Actor at Oxford International Film Festival and a Special Jury Mention at Manchester Film Festival.

Badgley starred as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix series You, formerly Lifetime's television adaptation of the book of the same name from September 2018 to April 2025. His performance was lauded by critics, with IGN calling it his best performance and writing that Badgley was "doing some of his best, most unhinged work in the series. His charming nature and playful face are the perfect, twisted mask for the 'Nice Guy With Control Issues' lurking underneath". Badgley received a Saturn Award nomination for his performance.

2020s In October 2019, Badgley was cast in the independent film Here Today opposite Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish, which was released in May 2021 to mixed reviews from critics. Also in 2021, he was part of an ensemble cast in Jimmy Giannopoulos' directorial debut and crime thriller, The Birthday Cake.

In June 2024, Badgley starred with Brandy and Monica in the music video for Ariana Grande's "The Boy Is Mine".

In July 2025, it was announced that Badgley and Meghann Fahy had been cast in Amazon MGM Studios' You Deserve Each Other, a romantic comedy film based on Sarah Hogle's novel of the same name.

Other activities

Music Badgley at the 2010 Toronto International Film FestivalBadgley and others formed a band and released a song titled "Easy" on SoundCloud under the name M O T H E R; the song quickly gained popularity and was posted on numerous blogs. The group changed the spelling to MOTHXR in 2015, citing a cease-and-desist from another band with a similar name. They promptly signed with the labels Kitsuné and Washington Square Music, the New York City-based subdivision of the Razor & Tie label, which led to MOTHXR releasing their debut album, via Concord titled Centerfold, on February 26, 2016. In a review, The Guardian said the album had "genuine drama and terrific hooks".

Activism and political views During the 2008 United States presidential election, Badgley supported Barack Obama. He and Blake Lively appeared in an Obama commercial as part of MoveOn's Youth Vote program, which aired during Gossip Girl on The CW, MTV, and Comedy Central.

In March 2010, the American Red Cross announced Badgley as a member of the National Celebrity Cabinet, a group of celebrities who promote Red Cross services. Badgley supported the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 and is an ally of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. He wants police brutality dialogue to include female victims, and supports LGBTQ rights.

Podcast On May 18, 2022, Badgley launched the podcast Podcrushed with cohosts Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari. The show explores the awkwardness, anxiety, heartbreak, and self-discovery that defines adolescence by inviting guests to share their middle school stories. Featured guests have included Drew Barrymore, Conan O'Brien, Jenna Ortega, Leighton Meester, Rainn Wilson, and Ariana Grande.

Personal life Badgley dated Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively from 2007 to 2010, and actress Zoë Kravitz from 2011 to 2013. He began dating singer Domino Kirke in 2014, and the couple married in a New York courthouse on February 27, 2017. Through the marriage, Badgley became the stepfather of Kirke's son from a previous relationship. Their first child together, a son, was born in August 2020. In September 2025, Badgley revealed that they had welcomed twin sons.

In an interview, Badgley described how the BP oil spill prompted his exploration into the connection between justice and spirituality, and led him to the rainforests of Colombia and the teachings of Baháʼu'lláh and the Baháʼí Faith. Badgley has been a member of the Baha'i Faith since 2015.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role 2001 Sean McGinnis (young) 2004 Debating Robert Lee Debater 2006 John Tucker Must Die Scott Tucker 2007 Drive-Thru Van 2008 Forever Strong Lars 2009 Michael Harding 2010 Easy A "Woodchuck" Todd 2011 Margin Call Seth Bregman 2012 Greetings from Tim Buckley Jeff Buckley 2014 Parts per Billion Erik 2015 Cymbeline Posthumus 2016 The Paper Store Sigurd Rossdale Adam Green's Aladdin Prince of Monaco 2021 Here Today Rex The Birthday Cake Peeno TBA Nick RoseNDAScott Pursell

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Will & Grace Todd Episode: "I Never Promised You an Olive Garden" 2000–2001 Phillip "Chance" Chancellor Main role 2000–2002 Eddie Bauer 2 episodes 2000 Daddio Todd 2002 Mike Episode: "My Name Is Evil" Do Over Joel Larsen Main role What I Like About You Jake Wood Episode: "Copy That" 2003 Trace Malone Episode: "Homecoming" 2004–2005 Sam Tunney Main role 2006 Owen Gregory 2007–2012 Gossip Girl Daniel "Dan" Humphrey 2015 Jamie 2 episodes 2018–2025 You Joseph “Joe” Goldberg Main role; also producer; also director: "She's Not There"

Video games Year Title Role Notes 1999 Mario GolfKid Voice role 2000 Mario TennisAlex 2005 Mario Tennis: Power TourChrisUncredited

Music videos

"The Boy Is Mine" (2024), by Ariana Grande 2008

2009

Choice Movie Actor: Horror/Thriller The Stepfather Choice TV Actor: Drama Gossip Girl Choice TV Actor: Drama Gossip Girl Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award Best Cast San Diego Film Critics Society Award Best Performance by an Ensemble Phoenix Film Critics Society Award Best Ensemble Acting

Independent Spirit Award Robert Altman Award

2013

Manchester Film Festival Jury Special Mention - Lead Actor

Oxford International Film Festival Best Actor

MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Villain

Saturn Awards Best Actor in Streaming Presentation 2022

2023