Penn Badgley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Penn Badgley
Badgley at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Penn Dayton Badgley (1986-11-01) November 1, 1986 (age 38) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation	Actor producer
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Domino Kirke ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	1

Penn Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and producer. He is well-known for playing Dan Humphrey in the TV show Gossip Girl (2007–2012). He also starred as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix thriller series You, which ran from 2018 to April 2025.

Badgley first became famous for his role as Phillip Chancellor IV on the soap opera The Young and the Restless (2000–2001). He has also appeared in several movies. These include the comedies John Tucker Must Die (2006) and Easy A (2010). He also acted in the thriller Margin Call (2011) and the drama The Paper Store (2016).

Early Life and Childhood

Penn Badgley was born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents are Duff and Lynne Badgley. His father worked as a newspaper reporter and later as a carpenter. Penn's first name comes from a brand of tennis ball his father was holding when his mother had her first sonogram.

Penn was an only child. He went to Woolridge Elementary and then St. Christopher's School in Virginia. He also attended Charles Wright Academy in Washington. Penn was also homeschooled for a time. His parents divorced when he was 12 years old.

As a child, Penn loved music. He even recorded a pop song in 1998, but it was never released. He also acted in local theater groups. His mother supported his acting dreams. When he was 14, he took an exam to finish high school early. He then started college at Santa Monica College. Later, he went to Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon for two years.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting in the 2000s

Badgley in 2009

Penn and his mother moved to Los Angeles when he was 11. This was so he could start his acting career. He began doing voiceovers for children's radio. His first acting jobs were voice roles in the video games Mario Golf 64 and Mario Tennis 64.

He then appeared in TV shows like Will & Grace and What I Like About You. His first big TV role was as Phillip Chancellor IV on The Young and the Restless. He played this role from 2000 to 2001. For this, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 2001.

In 2002, Penn starred in Do Over, a comedy-drama series. He played Joel Larsen, a man who goes back in time to his 14-year-old self. He also appeared in other TV shows like The Mountain and The Bedford Diaries. His first major film role was in John Tucker Must Die (2006).

In 2007, Penn was cast as Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl. This popular teen drama was based on a book series. He almost turned down the role but later accepted it. His acting as Dan Humphrey was very popular. He received six Teen Choice Award nominations for this role.

Success in the 2010s

Badgley at the premiere of Easy A with Emma Stone in 2010

Penn played Todd in the 2010 teen comedy Easy A. This movie was very successful. He then appeared in the drama Margin Call in 2011. The cast of this film received many awards, including the Robert Altman Award.

In 2012, Penn played musician Jeff Buckley in the movie Greetings from Tim Buckley. For this role, he took guitar and singing lessons. He also appeared in the films Parts per Billion (2014) and Cymbeline (2014).

In 2015, Penn had a role in the TV miniseries The Slap. He also received awards for his role in the independent film The Paper Store (2016).

From 2018 to April 2025, Penn starred as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix series You. Critics highly praised his performance in this show. Many called it his best work. He was also nominated for a Saturn Award for his role.

Recent Work in the 2020s

In 2021, Penn appeared in the film Here Today. In June 2024, he was featured in the music video for Ariana Grande's song "The Boy Is Mine".

Other Activities

Music Projects

Badgley at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

Penn Badgley is also a musician. He formed a band with others called M O T H E R. They later changed the name to MOTHXR. In 2016, MOTHXR released their first album, Centerfold.

Activism and Views

Penn Badgley has been involved in various causes. During the 2008 US presidential election, he supported Barack Obama. He also appeared in a commercial to encourage young people to vote.

In 2010, he joined the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. This group helps promote Red Cross services. Penn also supported the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. He is an ally of the Black Lives Matter movement. He also supports LGBT rights.

Podcast Host

On May 18, 2022, Penn Badgley started a podcast called Podcrushed. He hosts it with Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari. The podcast explores stories about growing up and middle school experiences. Famous guests like Drew Barrymore and Jenna Ortega have shared their stories on the show.

Personal Life

Penn Badgley dated his Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively from 2007 to 2010. He then dated actress Zoë Kravitz from 2011 to 2013.

In 2014, Penn began dating singer Domino Kirke. They got married in New York on February 27, 2017. Penn became the stepfather to Domino's son. In February 2020, they announced they were expecting their first child together. Their son was born in August 2020. The couple has chosen to keep their son's name private. In March 2025, Domino and Penn announced they are expecting twins.

Penn Badgley has been a member of the Baháʼí Faith since 2015. He has spoken about how his spiritual journey began after learning about the BP oil spill.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Voice Roles

Music Videos

• "The Boy Is Mine" (2024), by Ariana Grande

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Penn Badgley para niños