I didn't have emotional maturity: Penn Badgley on his struggles to separate himself from 'Gossip Girl' character

In a recent appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, as quoted by Variety, Badgley admitted that it was difficult for him to "move on" from his role in 'Gossip Girl' after starring in the hit series for six seasons.

"It was a struggle. When you do a film, you do it once and give it your all, and then you move on... When you do a television show, you're doing it constantly because of the nature of that show," said Penn Badgley in a podcast as quoted by Variety.

The Gossip Girl began in 2007 and concluded in 2012. Badgley had a recurring role in all six seasons, leading his 'Humphrey' character to a global fandom.

However, with time, the actor found it difficult to differentiate himself from his role in real life due to a lack of emotional maturity.

"I was 20, 21, 22, so I didn't have the emotional maturity to understand how to differentiate myself in terms of self-worth. What people seemed to think of Dan seemed to be what people thought of me," said Badgley in the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, as quoted by Variety.

The celebrity culture of the late 2000s also made it difficult for the actor to distance himself from his 'Gossip Girl' character.

According to Variety, during the peak of 'Gossip Girl,' the 'Badgley said he was constantly being asked about his dating life, which made him feel like, "You're constantly needing to prove yourself in some manner, otherwise what are you doing?"

'Gossip Girl' ran for 121 episodes from 2007 to 2012. It starred Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford, Kelly Rutherford, Matthew Settle and Jessica Szohr in the lead roles.

The show followed a group of wealthy New York teens whose scandalous lifestyles are repeatedly disrupted by an anonymous blogger known only as Gossip Girl, reported Variety.

Penn Badgley will be next seen in the fifth and final season of thriller drama 'You'. He plays the character of Joe Goldberg in the series, who is an obsessed lover and a bookworm.