Penn Badgley, born on November 1, 1986, got his big break as Dan Humphrey, the titular character in the popular teen drama T.V. series “Gossip Girl.” Badgley was destined for fame in the drama genre, starring in T.V. soap operas as a child. He’s also appeared in several successful comedy roles in sitcom T.V. series and teen movies but found his niche in drama. He went through a drama renaissance when he joined the cast of the Netflix series “You” in 2018. He’s also an accomplished musician. Let us celebrate his birthday here today!
Fast Facts
Full Name:
Penn Dayton Badgley
Birth date:
November 01, 1986
Age:
36 years, 7 months
Zodiac Sign:
Scorpio
Height:
5' 8"
Relationship Status:
Married
Net Worth:
$8.0 million
Background
Penn Dayton Badgley was born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland. His father was a reporter, carpenter/home builder, and politician for the Green Party. Badgley began acting at a young age and worked with the Seattle Children’s Theater. After attending elementary school, he studied at Lewis & Clark College, a private liberal arts college.Badgley moved to California with his mother to pursue his career in acting. He started his career doing voiceovers for children’s radio stations and received his first credit for voice work in 1999 for the video game “Mario Golf 64.” He first appeared as an actor on an episode of the popular sitcom T.V. series “Will & Grace” in 1999. He had his acting breakthrough in 2001 when he starred in the T.V. soap opera “The Young and the Restless.” He received a nomination in the Best Performance in a Daytime Series category from the Young Artist Award. Badgley appeared in the 2006 teen comedy film “John Tucker Must Die” which was his first major film acting credit. The following year, he achieved mainstream acting success as an adult when he joined the cast of the massively popular T.V. teen drama series “Gossip Girl.”In 2010, he starred in the box-office hit film “Easy A” alongside Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone. Throughout the 2010s, he starred in multiple drama films including the biopic “Greetings from Tim Buckley” (2012); “Cymbeline” (2014), an adaptation of a Shakespeare play by the same name; and the independent film “The Paper Store” (2016). Badgley joined the cast of Netflix’s drama thriller series “You” as the lead male role in 2018.
Career timeline
The actor gets his first acting credit for his voice work on the popular Nintendo video game “Mario Golf 64.”
Badgley stars in the popular T.V. sitcom “Will & Grace.”
Badgley appears in “The Young and the Restless” as a teen, setting him on the road to acting success.
Badgley stars in the teen comedy movie “John Tucker Must Die.”
The actor stars in another successful teen comedy movie, “Easy A,” alongside Emma Stone.
Badgley joins the cast of Netflix’s drama series “You” as the lead male character.
Penn Badgley FAQs
How long did Penn and Blake date?
Badgley dated his “Gossip Girl” co-star for three years.
Is Penn Badgley black?
While his paternal great-great-grandfather, Howard Duff, was Jamaican, Badgley is white.
Did Penn Badgley know he’s Gossip Girl?
The actor has revealed that he didn’t think it made any sense that his character on the show was the secret ‘gossip girl’ after which the series is named.
5 Surprising Facts
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He initially wanted to be a musician
Badgley had recorded an unreleased pop song which he later referred to as terrible and misguided.
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He is in a band
Not wanting to let go of his dreams of a music career, Badgley formed a successful SoundCloud band called MOTHXR.
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He is a stepfather
In addition to his biological son with his wife, Domino Kirke, Badgley became a stepfather to his wife’s son from her previous marriage.
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He is an official sexy man
He was once voted one of “People” magazine’s "Top 25 Beauties and Hotties at 25".
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He is a high school dropout
Badgley left school when he was 14 and studied at public and private colleges after completing proficiency exams.
Why We Love Penn Badgley
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He is dedicated spiritually
Badgley identifies as Baha’i and is an activist for the faith. He discovered the faith’s teaching when he visited the rainforests of Colombia after British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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He participates actively in American democracy
Badgley endorsed Democrat President Barack Obama during his first election year. Badgley and his “Gossip Girl” co-star, Blake Lively, appeared in a commercial for "Youth Vote" – a program by the MoveOn advocacy group that encourages young people to vote.
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He supports human rights
Badgley promotes the work of the humanitarian disaster relief group American Red Cross. He is also an outspoken supporter of women, people of color, and L.G.B.T. community rights.
Penn Badgley’s birthday dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | November 1 | Tuesday |
| 2023 | November 1 | Wednesday |
| 2024 | November 1 | Friday |
| 2025 | November 1 | Saturday |
| 2026 | November 1 | Sunday |
