Penn Badgley turns 40 today. The actor, born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland, is best known for two roles that could hardly be more different: Dan Humphrey, the outsider narrator of Gossip Girl, and Joe Goldberg, the charming stalker at the centre of Netflix’s You.
Badgley has spent almost twenty years on screen, moving from teen drama to psychological thriller, with film roles, music and a podcast along the way. Here is a look at his age, his career so far, and what he is doing now that You has come to an end.
Penn Badgley age and birthday
Penn Dayton Badgley was born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland, according to his Wikipedia biography. That makes him 40 years old today, November 1, 2026. His first name comes from a brand of tennis ball his father was holding during an ultrasound, a story that has followed him through his career. He is one of several famous faces with a November 1 birthday, as noted in today’s birthday roundup.
He started acting young. He attended Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington, and was involved with the Seattle Children’s Theatre. At 14 he completed his California High School Proficiency Exam and began attending Santa Monica City College. He was later accepted at the University of Southern California, but deferred admission because of acting work. His first big break came as Phillip Chancellor IV on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, a role he played from 2000 to 2001.
Dan Humphrey and Gossip Girl
Badgley first became a household name as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama Gossip Girl, which ran from 2007 to 2012. Dan was the Brooklyn outsider looking in on Manhattan’s wealthy elite, and in the show’s final episode he was revealed to be the anonymous blogger Gossip Girl.
The role earned Badgley six Teen Choice Award nominations and made him one of the most recognised young actors on television. The show has kept finding new viewers on streaming since it ended, and Dan Humphrey remains the role many fans think of first when they hear Badgley’s name. The final episode’s reveal that Dan was Gossip Girl all along is still one of the most talked-about twists in teen television.
Penn Badgley movies
Between his two big television roles, Badgley built a film career. His early films included the teen comedy John Tucker Must Die (2006), the thriller The Stepfather (2009) and Easy A (2010), in which he played Emma Stone’s love interest.
He then took a different kind of role in Margin Call (2011), playing a young Wall Street trader during the financial crisis of 2008. A year later he played musician Jeff Buckley in the biopic Greetings from Tim Buckley (2012), taking guitar and vocal lessons for the part. The film follows Jeff Buckley as he prepares for a 1991 tribute concert for his late father, folk singer Tim Buckley, and Badgley’s singing in the film won him praise from critics.
Joe Goldberg and You
Badgley’s second defining role came in 2018, when he began playing Joe Goldberg in the psychological thriller You. The first season aired on Lifetime before the show moved to Netflix, where it found a much bigger audience. Joe is a bookshop manager whose romantic interest in women turns into obsession, stalking and murder, and Badgley played him with a calm charm that made the character both likeable and frightening.
The show ran for five seasons, ending in 2025, and turned Badgley into a global streaming star. His performance earned him MTV Movie & TV Award and Saturn Award nominations.
Music and the Podcrushed podcast
Acting is only part of Badgley’s work. He is also a musician, releasing music with his band MOTHXR, and he co-founded the podcast Podcrushed, in which he talks with guests about the awkward and difficult parts of growing up.
Personal life
Badgley married singer Domino Kirke in 2017, and the couple’s son was born in August 2020. Earlier in his career he dated his Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively and actress Zoë Kravitz.
What is Penn Badgley doing now?
You ended with its fifth and final season in 2025, closing the chapter on Joe Goldberg. Badgley continues to co-host Podcrushed and make music with MOTHXR. Birthdays have been a theme here lately — Winona Ryder turned 55 just a few days ago — and like her, Badgley reaches a milestone birthday with his best-known work already behind him and plenty of career still ahead.
Some celebrity net worth sites put his net worth at around $8 million in 2026, though that figure is an estimate rather than a confirmed number.
FAQs
How old is Penn Badgley?
He is 40. He was born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland.
What is Penn Badgley best known for?
He is best known for playing Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s You (2018–2025).
What band is Penn Badgley in?
He makes music with his band MOTHXR.
What is the Podcrushed podcast?
Podcrushed is the podcast Badgley co-founded, in which he talks with guests about the awkward and difficult parts of growing up.
Is Penn Badgley married?
Yes. He married singer Domino Kirke in 2017, and they have a son who was born in 2020.
