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Penn Badgley is currently steaming up screens with his role in the hit Netflix series You. As Joe Goldberg, Badgley has earned critical acclaim and helped make You a huge success. However, long before acting in You, Badgley was appearing in another popular TV show – Gossip Girl. Badgley’s role as Dan Humphrey was responsible for making him a star. Ultimately, Dan would prove to be one of the most important characters in Gossip Girl. In a recent WIRED interview, Badgley discussed his time on Gossip Girl, admitting that he had no idea his character would turn out to be so instrumental to the fabric of the show. 

Penn Badgley played Dan Humphrey in ‘Gossip Girl’

Penn Badgley holds a microphone
Penn Badgley attends the Build Series in 2020 I Jim Spellman/Getty Images

Badgley was cast as Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl in 2007. As one of the core characters in the show, Badgley portrayed a young man who was charismatic, attractive, and deeply drawn to creative pursuits, including poetry and journaling. Although he attends the same prestigious school as his classmates, Dan’s financial situation is inferior, which leads him to struggle with feelings of self-acceptance.

In the sixth season of Gossip Girl, Dan reveals that he is the one who started the anonymous blog that detailed the personal lives of young people in the affluent area of New York City. This revelation only serves to deepen Serena’s love for Dan, since she realizes that the blog was a long-term love letter to her.

Penn Badgley talked about the moment when he discovered the truth about Dan Humphrey

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The final season of Gossip Girl threw fans for a loop. When viewers found out that Dan was the mysterious “Gossip Girl” of the show’s title, they were shocked. There had been hints and speculation during the final few seasons of Gossip Girl that Dan had something to do with the infamous gossip site, but no one was quite prepared for exactly how it went down in the finale. Badgley told WIRED in a recent interview that he was equally shocked when the writers told him his character was the show’s big reveal.

“Nobody knew. The writers have been clear about this,” Badgley said. “They had to decide who it was in the last season, you know, for like a finale. And I think he made the most sense. I found out, I think, just right before we started shooting the episode. I really didn’t know what was coming down the pipe, but in the end, I’m happy to wear the crown.”

Penn Badgley now plays Joe Goldberg in ‘You’

The character that Badgley plays in You, shares some similarities with Dan Humphrey. However, Joe Goldberg is a much darker character. In his WIRED interview, Badgley said that playing Joe has been “very enriching.” He also noted that he is “indebted” to the creators of the show.

“I love the experience for what it’s been, which is, hmm, very intense,” Badgley said. “Very, very intense.”You was recently renewed for a fifth and final season, now in pre-production.

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