Penn Badgley on You character: ‘He’s been a profound experience for me’

Penn Badgley has opened up about his connection to the character he plays in You.

The Gossip Girl star has revealed he will be sad to say goodbye to his murderous character Joe Goldberg, who he has portrayed in the hit Netflix thriller since 2018.

“I think I will miss him a little bit,” Penn said of Joe in a new interview with People. “He’s been a profound experience for me.”

He continued, “He’s not a real person. So what have I been doing? I’ve been engaging in this long (journey) my entire 30s.”

The actor then went on to explain that he has “grown” with Joe as he has played the character for most of his 30s.

“I was 30 when I took the role. I’m going to be 39 this year,” he explained. “Even though the show, the way it came out, it’s actually been closer to seven years.”

“For me, it’s like my 30s,” Penn continued. “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.”

Penn married singer Domino Kirke in 2017 and welcomed their first child together, James, in August 2020. They are now expecting twins.

The actor then noted that Joe has “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.”

Penn will return as Joe for the fifth and final season, which will be released on Netflix on Friday.

According to an official logline, the character “returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after … until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.”