“You” actor Penn Badgley opens up about struggles with his image: “I hated my body and wanted a different one”

Penn Badgley, the actor who brought the enigmatic and brooding Joe Goldberg to life in Netflix’s You, bared all about his struggles with body image.

In his raw and honest tell-all with The Guardian, Badgley shared that he dealt with undiagnosed body dysmorphia as a child, a challenge that stemmed from coping with his parents' divorce.

“I hated my body and simply wanted a different one.”

The actor, 39, also talked about overeating, which caused him to gain weight as he navigated his parents' separation. He experienced feelings of social isolation, yet he admired the men he saw in movies, believing he should look like them. However, he described it as an "impossibility," especially as he began his acting career, where image is constantly under scrutiny.

“There was just a period where, coming out of depression and isolation, I was jumping wilfully into, but also being thrust into, this world where the more conventionally beautiful I seemed, the more successful I might be, the more value I might have.”

He added that it’s difficult to ignore how surface-level his line of work is, adding:

“And if you recognise that, you can’t help but recognise the superficiality of our culture, because of the way it rewards this work.”

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Penn Badgley opens up on his views on TV and movie s*x scenes

In the interview, the Gossip Girl alum also spoke out about the way s*x scenes are often depicted in TV shows and films, stating that they often miss the mark when it comes to true intimacy. He shared his discomfort with these portrayals in 2023 in his podcast, Podcrushed, which led him to ask You showrunner Sera Gamble to reduce the number of s*x scenes.

He added that the typical portrayals of intimate scenes in TV shows and movies — like characters being pinned against walls or urgently pulling at each other's clothes — don't reflect how real intimacy unfolds.

“Usually it’s there to titillate, and to say: ‘Ah, the thing you’ve been waiting to see, it’s finally happening.’”

He added:

“It’s a narrow and simplistic way that we have done it so far, and I’m just not interested in that.”

Now, as he approaches his 40s and prepares to become a father of twins, Badgley is shifting his focus to new projects behind the camera and a forthcoming book.

Further, he revealed doing meditation daily to stay grounded, alongside “the simple stuff of life, like having a family, meaningful relationships with my friends.”

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You final season: Joe Goldberg’s last act

The fifth and final season of You premieres on Netflix on April 24, with 10 riveting episodes to conclude Joe Goldberg's story. Ahead of the highly anticipated premiere, Penn Badgley hinted:

“Every season they manage to find new space to make it interesting and relevant. And this season, I think somehow coming back to where it started allowed for it to just become grounded in the way that it needs to also have this kind of spectacular finish.”

Joe Goldberg's final chapter will feature major developments, with reports hinting at a time jump and fresh faces to shake up his world. As Joe faces the fallout from his previous actions, fans are in for an even darker dive into his twisted psyche.