Penn Badgley stands 5 feet 8½ inches tall and has become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about actors in 2025. Born on November 1, 1986, the Baltimore-born actor is now 38 years old and worth an estimated $8 million as per Celebrity Net Worth. His journey from teen heartthrob to psychological thriller icon shows how an actor can completely change their image while staying true to their values.
The Gossip Girl star married singer Domino Kirke in 2017 and became a father to four boys, including twin sons born in September 2025. His career spans from voice work in Nintendo games to starring in Netflix’s You, making him one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
Penn Badgley Bio/Wiki
| Full Name | Penn Dayton Badgley |
| Birth Date | November 1, 1986 |
| Age | 38 years old (as of 2025) |
| Height | 5 feet 8½ inches |
| Birthplace | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Spouse | Domino Kirke (married 2017) |
| Children | 4 sons (Cassius-stepson, James, twin boys) |
| Net Worth | $8 million (2025) |
| Famous Roles | Dan Humphrey (Gossip Girl), Joe Goldberg (You) |
| Religion | Bahá’í Faith |
| Band | MOTHXR |
| Podcast | Podcrushed |
| Production Company | Ninth Mode Media |
Early Life and Foundation (1986-2000)
Penn Badgley was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 1, 1986, to parents Duff Badgley and Lynne Murphy Badgley. His father worked as both a newspaper reporter and carpenter before entering politics as the Green Party candidate for Washington State governor in 2008. His mother supported his early acting dreams while managing various jobs and later co-founding a jewelry design business.
The story behind his first name shows his family’s fun approach to life. His father was bouncing a Penn tennis ball during his mother’s first sonogram, which led to the unique name choice. This spontaneous decision reflects the unconventional path that would later shape his career.
At age 14, Penn Badgley completed his California High School Proficiency Exam and started attending Santa Monica College. He skipped high school completely, allowing him to focus on acting while still pursuing education. This early academic acceleration gave him more time to build his entertainment career.
Rise to Fame: The Gossip Girl Era (2007-2012)
Penn Badgley almost didn’t become Dan Humphrey on Gossip Girl. He turned down the role multiple times before producers finally convinced him to accept it. This reluctance proved smart, as Badgley later expressed mixed feelings about the show’s cultural impact.
“Gossip Girl is certainly not my driving, passionate force in life,” he told reporters in 2011, showing early awareness of being typecast. The show’s massive success gave him opportunities and financial stability that enabled his later artistic choices. His on-screen chemistry with Blake Lively was complicated by their real-world relationship from 2007 to 2010.
Despite their breakup, Badgley and Lively continued working together professionally during the run of Gossip Girl. Penn Badgley, Leighton Meester, and Blake Lively are the only cast members to appear in every single episode of the series.
Musical Journey and Artistic Expression
Music has always been Penn Badgley’s primary creative outlet beyond acting. His band MOTHXR (originally spelled MOTHER until legal issues forced the change) reflects his desire for authentic artistic expression outside mainstream entertainment. The band released their album Centerfold in 2016.
“I’ve written a song for every woman I’ve been with,” Badgley once revealed in 2013 ELLE Interview, suggesting music serves as his emotional processing method. His favorite musician is D’Angelo, and his favorite album is Voodoo from 2000. He owns several guitars, including a Gibson ES-175, L-5, a Collings C-10, and two Fenders, which he often uses for songwriting and performances.
MOTHXR is composed entirely of “transplants from other bands” including members from Pretty Good Dance Moves, Reputante, Rathbourne, and Drowners. His musical equipment reflects serious musicianship – the Gibson L-5 and Collings were specifically purchased when he landed the Jeff Buckley role.
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Penn Badgley Career Transition and Reinvention (2013-2018)
After Gossip Girl ended, Penn Badgley deliberately chose roles that would distance him from his teen drama star image. His performance in Margin Call (2011) earned him the Robert Altman Award as part of the ensemble cast at the Independent Spirit Awards. This recognition showed his ability to work in serious dramatic films alongside established actors.
His portrayal of Jeff Buckley in Greetings from Tim Buckley (2012) was particularly significant for his artistic growth. He took guitar and vocal lessons specifically for the role and performed live vocals in the film. The project represented his commitment to authentic performance rather than just celebrity appearances.
The Paper Store (2016) brought Badgley critical acclaim, winning Best Actor at Oxford International Film Festival and a Special Jury Mention at Manchester Film Festival. His early career also included voice work for Nintendo games Mario Golf 64 and Mario Tennis 64 in 1999-2000.
The “You” Era: Psychological Thriller Mastery (2018-2025)
Penn Badgley’s transformation into Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s You represents one of the most successful actor reinventions in recent television history. His ability to make a stalking murderer simultaneously repulsive and compelling earned critical acclaim and sparked cultural conversations about toxic masculinity and viewer complicity.
“I am the least forgiving person in the world with Joe,” Badgley stated in Instyle interviews, actively working to prevent audiences from romanticizing his character’s behavior. This approach demonstrates his mature understanding of his platform’s responsibility and influence. He serves not only as the star but also as a producer, indicating his behind-the-scenes involvement and creative control.
Badgley directed the ninth episode of You’s Season 4, marking his directorial debut. In interviews about the show’s final season, he described the experience as emotionally powerful and said working on You had become deeply meaningful to him.
His MTV Movie & TV Award nomination for Best Villain in 2019 recognized his compelling portrayal of the complex character.
Spiritual Transformation: Bahá’í Faith Journey (2015-Present)
Penn Badgley’s conversion to the Bahá’í Faith in 2015 marked a significant personal transformation. His exploration began following the BP oil spill, leading him to “the rainforests of Colombia and the teachings of Baháʼu’lláh.” This spiritual journey influences his approach to both his craft and his public platform.
He participated in the 5th annual Ayahuasca Monologues at Webster Hall in New York City in 2012, describing his experiences publicly. His journey to the Bahá’í Faith included experiences with ayahuasca in South America. He reads Bahá’í writings before bed each night as part of his spiritual practice.
His Instagram presence reflects his evolved worldview, focusing on social justice issues, Bahá’í faith awareness, and anti-racism advocacy. His activism includes support for the Black Lives Matter movement and advocacy for Bahá’í persecution awareness in Iran.
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Penn Badgley Personal Life and Family Development
Penn Badgley married singer and doula Domino Kirke in a New York courthouse on February 27, 2017. He became a devoted stepfather to her son Cassius from a previous relationship. The couple welcomed their first child together, James, in 2020. In September 2025, they welcomed twin boys, bringing their family to four sons total.
Badgley confirmed the twins’ arrival at the You season five premiere, sharing that they had welcomed identical twin boys, bringing their family to four sons. Through his marriage to Domino Kirke, he became brother-in-law to actresses Jemima Kirke and Lola Kirke.
His father-in-law is Simon Kirke, former drummer for British rock bands Free and Bad Company. In the past, Badgley was publicly linked to Zoë Kravitz and his Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively.
Current Projects and Media Presence (2022-Present)
Penn Badgley co-hosts the popular podcast Podcrushed with Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari, launched in 2022. The show explores adolescent experiences through celebrity interviews and has featured notable guests including Drew Barrymore, Conan O’Brien, Leighton Meester, Jenna Ortega, and Rainn Wilson.
He runs a lecture series called “Can We Talk?” with psychotherapist Nura Mowzoon, which has included events at Harvard and Columbia University. In 2024, he starred in Ariana Grande’s music video for “The Boy Is Mine,” playing a character who is stalked by her.
His Astra Award nomination for Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama in 2022 recognized his continued work. With You concluding in 2025, Badgley is focusing on his production company, Ninth Mode Media.
Production Company and Future Direction
Ninth Mode Media has optioned David Sedaris’s story “Jamboree” for a feature film, which Badgley plans to direct. His goal is creating content that constructs rather than merely deconstructs, particularly for young audiences. “We need to deconstruct as well as construct,” he explained.
He wants to produce “hopeful, light fare,” which he acknowledges is “harder to make these days.” His upcoming film “You Deserve Each Other” where he plays Nick Rose is listed as TBA. Badgley views “acting as already such a psycho-spiritual, existential craft” where “you are the instrument.”
Penn Badgley Personal Characteristics and Preferences
Penn Badgley has curly dark hair, brown eyes, and a characteristic gap-toothed smile. He has a feather tattoo on his right leg and describes himself as emotional, stating “I cry all the time” and can become “emotional to the point of tears” from “things happening in the world and beautiful art.”
His daily routine includes “saying a prayer, setting an alarm or reading” before bed each night. If required to spend $1,000, he would buy a guitar because “a new guitar is like a world waiting to be explored.”
His favorite bagel is an everything bagel, toasted with cream cheese, sometimes with lox. He reads serious books including “21 Questions for the 21st Century” by Yuval Noah Harari. He specifically recommends Norm MacDonald’s “moth joke” as his favorite comedy bit.
Professional Recognition and Legacy
Penn Badgley’s career transformation represents successful navigation of Hollywood’s challenges while maintaining personal integrity. In 2011, he was named one of People’s “25 Beauties (and Hotties) at 25” and BuddyTV ranked him number 75 on “TV’s 100 Sexiest Men of 2011.”
His transformation from Dan Humphrey to Joe Goldberg has been noted by critics as one of the more successful reinventions in recent television history. IGN specifically called his You performance his best work. His willingness to critically examine his own work sets him apart in an industry often criticized for superficiality.
Penn Badgley Net Worth and Professional Standing (2025)
According to Celebrity Net Worth his estimated net worth is $8 million. Penn Badgley’s heritage includes Irish, English, French-Canadian, German, Scottish, Dutch, Welsh, and French Huguenot ancestry. One paternal great-grandfather, Howard Duff, emigrated from Jamaica and was likely of African-Jamaican ancestry.
He never completed traditional middle school after moving to Los Angeles at age 12. Despite being accepted to USC, he deferred admission and later attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon for two years. His unconventional educational path reflects his early commitment to his acting career.
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Conclusion
Penn Badgley has successfully transformed from a teen drama star to a respected actor, producer, and social advocate. His journey from Dan Humphrey to Joe Goldberg shows how actors can reinvent themselves while staying true to their values. At 38 years old, with four sons and a growing production company, he represents a new model of celebrity focused on meaningful work rather than fame.
His commitment to his Bahá’í Faith, his family, and creating positive content positions him as a thoughtful voice in entertainment. With You ending and new projects beginning, Penn Badgley enters his next chapter with the wisdom gained from navigating Hollywood on his own terms.
FAQ’s About Penn Badgley
How tall is Penn Badgley?
Penn Badgley is 5 feet 8½ inches tall.
How old is Penn Badgley in 2025?
Penn Badgley is 38 years old, born on November 1, 1986.
What is Penn Badgley’s net worth?
His estimated net worth is $8 million according to Celebrity Net Worth as of 2025.
Who is Penn Badgley married to?
He married singer Domino Kirke in 2017.
How many kids does Penn Badgley have?
He has four boys – stepson Cassius, son James (born 2020), and twin boys (born September 2025).
What religion does Penn Badgley follow?
He converted to the Bahá’í Faith in 2015.
What band was Penn Badgley in?
He was the lead singer of MOTHXR, which released the album Centerfold in 2016.
Did Penn Badgley date Blake Lively?
Yes, they dated from 2007 to 2010 while filming Gossip Girl.
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