Penn Badgley is turning 40 with a career in which one television role has made him a favorite of the audience, and another has made him the face of a dark and controversial character. He was born on November 1, 1986 in Baltimore, Maryland, and after his parents divorced, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles.
His first steps in front of the camera came in the late 90s. His television debut was in an episode of “Will & Grace“ in 1999, and a year later he received a regular role in the soap opera “The Young and the Restless“. There he played Philip “Chance“ Chancellor IV between 2000 and 2001. This was followed by appearances in television productions and his first major film role - Scott Tucker in the comedy “John Tucker Must Die“ from 2006.
Dan Humphrey makes him a star
The big break came in 2007 with “Gossip Girl“. For six seasons, Badgley played Dan Humphrey - an observant and sensitive student from Brooklyn who finds himself drawn into the life of the wealthy elite of Manhattan. His character is at the same time a narrator, participant and moral guide in a story built around secrets, love affairs and anonymous publications.
The series ended in 2012, but in the meantime, Badgley has expanded his work in cinema. In “Easy“ he co-starred with Emma Stone, and in “Greetings from Tim Buckley“ he played the role of musician Jeff Buckley. In addition to acting, Badgley is also a musician - he is the vocalist of the indie band MOTHXR, which released the album “Centerfold“ in 2016.
From romantic hero to obsessive killer
In 2018, Badgley took on the role that changed his public image. In the series “You“ he played Joe Goldberg - an intelligent and seemingly considerate man who turns his obsession with women into a series of manipulations, stalking and murders. The story originally aired on Lifetime, then became an international hit on Netflix.
The fifth and final season premiered on April 24, 2025, and returns Joe to New York City, where his story begins. After the finale, Badgley told the Los Angeles Times: “I think it's a satisfying ending. I think it's the right ending.” According to the actor, the finale puts the character in a situation where he has to suffer the consequences of his actions, rather than getting away with it again through charm and self-justification.
After the series ended, Badgley continued to develop another side of his public work. In 2022, he launched a podcast with Nava Cavelin and Sophie Ansari. It focuses on adolescence, early disappointments, anxiety, and how early experiences shape adulthood. Thus, at 40 years old, Penn Badgley remains recognizable not only as Dan Humphrey and Joe Goldberg, but also as an actor who manages to build two completely different television icons.
Sources: apnews.com, latimes.com, thewrap.com