
Age: 39
male
Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor. He is primarily known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and Joe Goldberg in the Netflix thriller series You (2018–2025). For Gossip Girl, he received six Teen Choice Award nominations, and for You, he earned MTV Movie & TV Award and Saturn Award nominations. Badgley first became known for portraying Phillip Chancellor IV on the soap opera The Young and the Restless (2000–2001), which earned him a Young Artist Award nomination, and he followed this with roles in the comedy films John Tucker Must Die (2006) and Drive-Thru (2007). Badgley went on to appear in a number of films, such as the thriller The Stepfather (2009), the teen comedy-drama Easy A (2010), the financial thriller Margin Call (2011), the biographical film Greetings from Tim Buckley (2012) and the independent drama The Paper Store (2016). For Margin Call, he won an Independent Spirit Award.

Penn Badgley

Ethan Cross
for Ethan Cross in The Sound of Hope
Suggested by thecookieprincess

The film opens with the protagonist, Danny Grayson, a down-on-his-luck musician, arriving in a small town. He checks into the "Heartbreak Hotel," a dilapidated but charming establishment run by an eccentric old man, Mr. Jenkins, who offers Danny a room in exchange for performing at the hotel's lounge. Danny agrees, hoping to find inspiration and get back on his feet. One evening, while performing, Danny catches the eye of Sarah, a beautiful and spirited young woman. They share an instant connection, and Sarah introduces Danny to the local community. Sarah is passionate about preserving the town's historic music hall, which is threatened by a greedy developer, Mr. Hargrove, who plans to demolish it to build a shopping center. Danny, inspired by Sarah's dedication and his growing feelings for her, joins the fight to save the music hall. As they work together, their bond deepens, and they fall in love. Just as things seem bleak, Danny discovers that Mr. Jenkins, the hotel owner, is a former rock 'n' roll legend who had disappeared from the public eye. With Mr. Jenkins' guidance, Danny organizes a massive benefit concert, "Jailhouse Rock," to raise funds and rally the town to save the music hall. The concert is a huge success, bringing the community together and reigniting. Mr. Hargrove, seeing the overwhelming support, is forced to back down. The music hall is saved. Danny and Sarah watching as the town celebrates the preservation of their beloved music hall.
