Penn Badgley Reflects on His Time as 'Joe' in 'You': A Bittersweet Farewell

Mumbai, April 24 (NationPress) As the concluding season of Netflix's psychological thriller 'You' has captivated viewers, lead actor Penn Badgley took a moment to reflect on the series and express what he will miss about his role.

Since 2018, Badgley has kept audiences engaged as the serial killer Joe Goldberg. During a conversation with People, he shared insights into how this character became integral to his formative years.

The actor remarked, 'I think I will miss him (Joe) a little bit. He has 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 throughout my 30s. I was 30 when I took the role. I’ll be 39 this year. Even though the show has been around for about seven years, it feels like my 30s.'

Badgley also noted, 'I became a father while working on this show. I only got married just before I took the role. So I’ve experienced significant growth alongside Joe in a peculiar way.'

Discussing the lessons he learned from playing Joe, Badgley explained, 'He taught me a lot about what it means to be a man by understanding what it is not. And I don’t mean the obvious things like, ‘Oh, don’t murder. That’s bad.’ That’s very clear.'

From Joe's viewpoint, Badgley described him as an innocent boy who lacked the protection he needed, which led him to become the protector he felt he never had.

The 'Gossip Girl' star revealed to People, 'That was crucial to his identity. So crucial that he creates the danger he needs to shield others from. This is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs in subtle ways. Unfortunately, we can all be possessive, coercive, manipulative, and jealous in our relationships with those we love most.'