Before he became the face of one of the 2000s' most iconic TV characters, Penn Badgley was a teenager shouldering far more than lines and auditions. On the April 23 episode of Call Her Daddy, the You actor opened up about the financial and emotional challenges he faced before landing the role of Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl — a job he initially tried to avoid.
Badgley revealed that by the age of 15, he had become financially independent and, at times, the main breadwinner for his family. ‘I wasn’t always the provider,’ he said, ‘but I felt the need to support my parents from a young age.’ Having started acting at 12, with roles in The Young and the Restless and other early gigs, Badgley said the grind of Hollywood wore on him quickly.
By 20, after nearly a decade in the business, Badgley was drained — both emotionally and financially. ‘I had a tiredness about me at 20 that I think is not typical for a 20-year-old,’ he shared. When the opportunity for Gossip Girl first came along, he wasn’t interested. But with money running low and a strong pull towards living in New York, the decision soon became clear. ‘I was close to broke,’ he admitted. The rest, as they say, is TV history.
Badgley went on to star in all six seasons of the hit teen drama, which followed a group of privileged Manhattan high schoolers. Despite later success, including his current role as Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s You, he admits Gossip Girl continues to follow him. ‘I will still be answering questions about this show I decided to do when I was 20,’ he told Call Her Daddy. ‘And whatever. That is what it is… It sets you on a certain track that you have to in a sense resist. Work with it, interface with it. Otherwise, it just sort of takes you on its ride.’
He also opened up about the emotional toll of playing Dan, especially at such a formative age. ‘I lacked the emotional maturity to understand how to differentiate [myself from Dan] in terms of self-worth,’ he said. ‘What people seemed to think of Dan seemed to be what people thought of me… I wasn’t like losing myself. But it bothered me.’
Now starring as the chilling Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s You, Badgley reflects on the role that changed everything. ‘It sets you on a certain track that you have to resist… or it takes you on its ride.’
Looking ahead, Badgley is set to release a book titled Crushmore, co-authored with his Podcrushed co-hosts, slated for publication in October. Beyond acting, he also stars in Moncler's Spring 2025 campaign.