Penn Badgley Skipped High School to Pursue Acting
Actor Penn Badgley gained more popularity when he eventually decided to give You a chance. He has been the lead character for a few years and finds the role rewarding. The series is not his first big project.
Badgley was in plenty of other works, and his first credited role was when he was a kid. He talked about his experience as a child actor in interviews. While growing up, he received his education differently than most other children in the United States.
Penn Badgley began his career when he was a kid
When Badgley was a young kid, his mother encouraged him to get into acting. In Washington, he auditioned for a play at his local community theater. The experience inspired him to pursue the arts, and he wanted to do professional work at the age of 12.
As a result, Badgley’s mother moved them to Los Angeles so he could achieve his goal. He started with minor roles in shows like Will & Grace. One of his first big TV gigs was The Young and the Restless in 2000.
For a year, Badgley portrayed the kid version of Phillip Chancellor IV in the soap opera. Afterward, he appeared in The Brothers Garcia and Do Over. The young star also gained acting credits for multiple films.
According to Variety, the first one he did was the 2001 independent film The Fluffer. The term refers to a specific role in the adult movie industry. However, neither Bagley, his mom, nor his agent knew it until they got the script. The role is one of the reasons why Badgley regrets being a child actor.
Penn Badgley skipped middle and high school
Education is still necessary for child stars, and some kids struggle to balance work and academics. In an interview with WIRED, Badgley talked about the unconventional schooling he had growing up. He confirmed that he dropped out of middle school.
“I technically tested out of high school early, stopped going to middle school, skipped high school, started taking college courses so I could work adult hours while I was working in television and film,” Badgley explained. “I didn’t drop out of middle school. I dropped out of childhood.”
At 13, Badgley would act for about six months before spending another six studying at community college. He mainly took general education courses so he could transfer schools later. However, he never attended the University of Southern California despite getting admitted.
Badgley was already an actor, so he did not feel the need to attend a film program. Still, he avoided a large portion of many people’s lives.
What has Penn Badgley been doing lately?
According to IMDb, Badgley appeared in the 2021 crime thriller The Birthday Cake. In the same year, he also starred in Here Today. Badgley has not acted in any other movies recently. However, he has returned for a popular TV show.
One of Badgley’s notable roles is Joe from the psychological thriller You. The series recently dropped its fourth season on Netflix, and the characters are now abroad. Following last season’s finale, Joe is now in the United Kingdom.
Despite hints of France, the showrunners decided to change the setting to London. All the episodes are now available for streaming, so fans can see where the story will go. There has been no news of Netflix renewing the show for a fifth season.
Other than You, Badgley does not seem to be working on anything else. That could change. Fans can keep an ear out for news of projects in the future.
