Key Points

Penn Badgley has concluded his remarkable journey portraying Joe Goldberg in Netflix's psychological thriller 'You' after nearly seven years. The actor reflected deeply on how the character paralleled his personal growth, spanning his entire 30s and coinciding with significant life milestones like marriage and fatherhood. Badgley shared profound insights about Joe's complex psychological landscape, describing him as an innocent boy seeking protection who ultimately becomes a dangerous protector. His nuanced understanding of the character reveals broader human tendencies toward possessiveness and manipulation in relationships.

Key Points: Penn Badgley Reflects on Joe from Netflix's 'You' Journey

  • Badgley spent entire 30s portraying complex serial killer character
  • Actor grew personally while playing Joe Goldberg
  • Final season marks end of psychological thriller series
  • Role provided deep insights into human relationships
2 min read

Penn Badgley on spending his formative years as 'Joe' from 'You': I think I will miss him

Penn Badgley opens up about his transformative role as Joe Goldberg in Netflix's psychological thriller 'You' during its final season

"I became a father while I was on this show. I only got married just before I took the role. - Penn Badgley"

Mumbai, April 24

As the final season of Netflix's psychological thriller "You" has reached the audience, lead Penn Badgley took some time to look back on the series, and reveal what he will miss about the project.

Badgley who has been keeping the audience hooked as the serial murderer Joe Goldberg since 2018 opened up about the character which became a part of his formative years during a conversation with People.

The actor said "I think I will miss him (his character Jeo) a little bit. He's been a profound experience for me. He's not a real person. So what have I been doing? I've been engaging in this long [journey] my entire 30s. I was 30 when I took the role. I'm going to be 39 this year. Even though the show, the way it came out, it's actually been closer to seven years. For me, it's like my 30s."

"I became a father while I was on this show. I only got married just before I took the role. So I've grown a lot and I've grown with Joe in a strange way," Badgley told People.

Sharing what he will be taking away from his character, Joe, Badgley shared, " He taught me a lot about what it is to be a man by knowing what it is not. And I don't mean the obvious things like, 'Oh, don't murder. That's bad.' That's very clear."

Sharing Jeo's perspective, Badgley said that he was an innocent boy who needed protection that he did not get, and growing up he became the protector he believed he never had.

The 'Gossip Girl' actor revealed to People, "That was vital to his identity. So vital that he creates the danger that he needs to protect people from. That is a really interesting phenomenon. That happens in smaller ways, in subtler ways. We are all, unfortunately, sometimes possessive, sometimes coercive, sometimes manipulative [and] jealous in relationships with the people we love the most."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah L.
Penn's portrayal of Joe was absolutely chilling yet captivating. It's fascinating how he could make us root for such a terrible person at times. The show won't be the same without him! 😢
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Michael T.
I appreciate how reflective Penn is about this role. It's rare to see actors really grow with their characters like this. Though I do think the last season stretched believability a bit too far.
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Jasmine K.
That insight about Joe creating the danger he needs to protect people from is SO deep. Never thought about it that way before. Penn really understood this character on another level 👏
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David R.
While I loved the show, I wish they'd wrapped it up sooner. The character arc felt complete after season 3. Still, Penn's performance was consistently brilliant throughout.
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Emma S.
"He taught me what it is to be a man by knowing what it is not" - what a powerful statement! This interview makes me want to rewatch the series with this new perspective in mind.
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Trevor M.
From Gossip Girl to Joe Goldberg - what a range! Penn deserves all the awards for this transformation. Can't wait to see what he does next!

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