Penn Badgley’s Unexpected Personal Request for ‘You’ Producers

You Season 4 - Penn Badgley

While most actors may not mind playing a romantic lead, Penn Badgley actively asked himself if he wanted to put himself back on that career path when taking on the lead role in You.

Badgley, 32, who is married in real life to Domino Kirke, was aware that it would be difficult to completely eliminate the on-camera intimacy. Playing the charming serial killer Joe Goldberg would require some degree of sexy scenes. However, it was important to Badgley that the sex scenes he was involved with be reduced.

The Request to the Show

“I asked Sera Gamble can I just do no more intimacy scenes,” Penn reveals on his ‘Podcrushed’ podcast, speaking to co-host Nava Kavelin.

“This is actually a decision I made before I took the show. I don’t think I have ever mentioned it publicly. One of the main things was, do I want to put myself back on a career path where I’m always playing the romantic lead?” Badgley continues explaining.

“Fidelity in every relationship, including my marriage, is important to me,” Badgley states. “It’s got to the point where I don’t want to do that. So I said to Sera, ‘my desire would be zero, to go from 100 to zero.'”

However, Badgley also admits that he knew that “zero” would be impossible. 

“But I signed this contract. I signed up for this show. I know what I did. You can’t take this aspect out of the DNA of the concept. So how much less can you make it, was my question to them,” Badgley adds.

The bold move by Badgley went over better than he imagined, and Gamble’s reaction was a positive one.

“She didn’t even bat an eye. She was really glad that I was that honest. And she was sort of almost, I want to say empowered, it had a really positive response. They came back with a phenomenal reduction.” he notes.

You Season 4
Photo Credit: Netflix

Penn Badgley on You Season 4 Production

You Season 4 makes a hop across the pond to London. And Badgley has previously spoken about how much he enjoyed filming in the UK. Though, it did mean that he was separated from his wife and son, James, more than he liked.

“I wasn’t able to be with my family as much as I would have liked to,” Badgley said in an interview with BBC Newsbeat. “Apart from that, it was a great time, I remember it so fondly. I do truly love something of the culture there.”

“My wife is British, she was born and raised there until she was a teenager. So I just really truly did enjoy it.” Badgley adds.

The first part of You Season 4 is currently streaming on Netflix. The second half of the season will be available for streaming March 9.

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *