Penn Badgley Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Family, Biography
Penn Badgley Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Family, Biography
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Quick Infoâ
Age: 38 Years
Wife: Domino Kirke
Height: 5' 8½"
Bio/Wiki | |
---|---|
Full Name | Penn Dayton Badgley |
Profession(s) | ⢠Actor ⢠Producer |
Famous Role | 'Joe Goldberg' in Netflix's series 'You' (2018-2025) ![]() |
Physical Stats | |
Height | 5' 8½" (174 cm) |
Eye Colour | Brown |
Hair Colour | Brown |
Career | |
Debut | TV: Will & Grace (1999) as 'Todd' (NBC) ![]() Film: The Fluffer (2001) as 'Sean McGinnis (young)' ![]() |
Awards, Honours | 2011 ⢠Recognised as one of People's'25 Beauties (and Hotties) at 25' ⢠Ranked 75th on Buddy TV's '100 Sexiest Men of 2011' list 2012 ⢠Robert Altman Award for the film 'Margin Call' at the 27th Independent Spirit Awards 2016 ⢠Jury Special Mention - Lead Actor for the film 'The Paper Store' at the Manchester International Film Festival (MANIFF) ⢠Best Actor award for 'The Paper Store' at the Oxford International Film Festival (OXIFF) |
Personal Life | |
Date of Birth | 1 November 1986 (Saturday) |
Age (as of 2024) | 38 Years |
Birthplace | Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
Signature | ![]() |
Nationality | American |
Hometown | Baltimore |
School | ⢠Woolridge Elementary School, Woodlake, Virginia ⢠St. Christopher's School, Richmond, Virginia ⢠Charles Wright Academy, Washington |
College/University | ⢠Santa Monica College, California ⢠Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon |
Educational Qualification | A degree in Theatre |
Religion | Bahåʟà Faith (since 2015) |
Food Habit | Vegetarian |
Tattoo | On the Right Leg: A feather ![]() |
Social Media | ⢠Instagram ⢠Facebook ⢠Twitter |
Relationships & More | |
Marital Status | Married |
Affairs/Girlfriends | ⢠Blake Lively (actor) (2007-2010) ![]() ⢠ZoÍ Kravitz (actor, filmmaker) (2011-2013) ![]() ⢠Domino Kirke (singer) (2014-2017) ![]() |
Engagement Date | Year, 2014 |
Marriage Date | 27 February 2017 ![]() |
Marriage Place | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
Family | |
Wife/Spouse | Domino Kirke (singer) |
Children | Son(s)- 2 ⢠James Badgley (born in September 2020) ![]() ⢠Cassius (stepson) ![]() Daughter- None |
Parents | Father- Duff Badgley (news reporter, carpenter, home builder) Mother- Lynne (Murphy) Badgley (businessperson, realtor) ![]() |
Siblings | Brother- Megan Murphy (cousin) Half-Sister- Jen (elder) (from mother's second marriage) |
Other Relatives | Paternal Great-Grandfather(s)- ⢠Howard Duff (deceased) ⢠George Badgley |
Favourites | |
Actress(es) | Tina Fey, Parker Posey |
Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
Novel | 'GalĂĄpagos' (1985) by Kurt Vonnegut |
Musician(s) | Jeff Buckley, D'Angelo |
Album | 'Voodoo' (2000) by D'Angelo |
Money Factor | |
Assets/Properties | ⢠A farmhouse-styled home in West Shokan, New York (sold for $1.7 million in September 2023) ![]() ⢠An apartment in Park Slope, South Brooklyn (worth $1.8 million) (bought in 2021) (listed for sale for $1.925 in 2024) |
Net Worth (approx.) | $8 million (as of 2025) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Penn Badgley
Penn Badgley was born at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was kept in the NICU for a few days.
He is the only child of his parents.
A childhood picture of Penn Badgley
Badgley has Irish, English, French-Canadian, German and Scottish ancestry. He also has distant roots from Welsh, Dutch, and French Huguenot backgrounds.
One of his great-grandfathers, Howard Duff, came from Jamaica and likely had African-Jamaican heritage. One of his paternal ancestors is George Badgley, who was born around 1616 in Bakewell, England; his lineage is part of Pennâs patrilineal ancestry.
Badgley was named after a tennis ball brand called âPenn.â While his mother was having her first sonogram, his father was bouncing a ball from the brand and joked that the baby looked the size of it, which led them to name him âPenn.â
Penn first attended Woolridge Elementary School in Virginia, where his mother was the PTA president. He later attended St. Christopherâs School in Richmond, Virginia.
As a child, he was part of the Seattle Childrenâs Theatre and the Pine Tree Players community theatre in Washington.
Actress Parker Posey was his childhood crush.
Pennâs parents divorced when he was 12. He and his mother then moved from Washington state to California for him to pursue acting. During this time, his mother worked at Home Depot.
A childhood picture of Penn Badgley with his mother
His mother supported his acting career by working multiple jobs and eventually started a jewellery design business with his godmother, Jan Sneed. She once drove him 50 miles so that he could perform in the play âThe Music Man.â
In the early years of his career, Penn saw acting more as a job than a passion, using it primarily to pay the bills.
He was once trained by an actor and acting coach named Harold Guskin.
Penn does not particularly like LA, even though he partly grew up there. He believes it is common for actors, as the constant auditions and the focus on selling scripts can make the atmosphere feel off and negative.
Badgley has loved music since he was young. In 1998, he recorded a pop single, which he later described as âterribleâ and âmisguided,â but never released it.
Penn Badgley graduated from high school at 13 by taking a California test that substitutes for a diploma, commonly used by immigrants.
Penn Badgley during his teenage years
Badgley then joined Santa Monica College in California. He later got selected for the University of Southern California but postponed due to contractual obligations. So, he later attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, for two years.
Penn has been a Jeff Buckley fan since he was 17. He loved Buckleyâs live performances, especially his cover of âStrange Fruit.â
Penn Badgley has lent his voice to several characters in Nintendoâs Mario game series, including âKidâ in âMario Golfâ (1999), âAlexâ in âMario Tennisâ (2000), and âChrisâ in âMario Tennis: Power Tourâ (2005).
A poster of âMario Golfâ (1999)
In 2000, he appeared as âToddâ in NBCâs series âDaddio.â
A poster of the television series âDaddioâ
Penn gained recognition through his appearance as âPhillip Chancellor IVâ in CBSâ series âThe Young and the Restlessâ (2000-2001). His performance earned him a nomination for the 2001 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Daytime Series.
Penn Badgley as âPhillip Chancellor IVâ in the series âThe Young and the Restlessâ (2000-2001)
Penn played the role of âJoel Larsenâ in the television series âDo Overâ (2002), which aired on The WB.
Penn Badgley as âJoel Larsenâ in a still from the television series âDo Overâ (2002)
He has appeared in many other television series, including The WBâs âWhat I Like About Youâ (2002), UPNâs âThe Twilight Zoneâ (2003), The WBâs âThe Mountainâ (2004-2005), and The WBâs âThe Bedford Diariesâ (2006).
Penn Badgley as âSam Tunneyâ in a still from the television series âThe Mountainâ (2004-2005)
Penn struggled with body dysmorphia, a condition where people worry too much about how they look, in his youth. He talked about this in an interview and said he did not like his body and often wished he looked different.
In 2004, Pennâs mother, Lynne, wrote a letter supporting Brian Peck, a dialogue coach and actor convicted of sexually abusing a minor. The letter became public in 2024, as it was mentioned in the âQuiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TVâ docuseries.
!In 2006, he played the role of âScott Tuckerâ in the teen comedy film âJohn Tucker Must Die.â
!His appearance as âDaniel Humphreyâ (Dan) in The CWâs teen drama series âGossip Girlâ (2007-2012) was appreciated by viewers. It earned him six Teen Choice Award nominations throughout the showâs run.
Penn Badgley as âDaniel Humphreyâ (Dan) in the series âGossip Girlâ (2007-2012)
Penn rejected working on Gossip Girl twice to avoid being typecast. However, after the showâs creator, Stephanie Savage, convinced him to reconsider, and with no one else available for the role, he agreed to take it on, just before he was about to start working as a waiter somewhere.
At first, Penn preferred playing âChuck Bassâ on Gossip Girl. While he did not dislike âDan,â he struggled being associated with a character so different from himself. However, over time, he grew to appreciate the role and the opportunities that it provided.
Penn, Leighton Meester, and Blake Lively were among the few Gossip Girl cast members who appeared in every single episode of the series.
Penn Badgley and Blake Lively in a still from âGossip Girlâ
In 2007, Penn and actor Blake Lively began dating while co-starring in the series âGossip Girl.â They initially kept their relationship secret, but made it public in 2008 by attending events together.
Although Penn and Blake had known each other since they were 11 and were homeschooled together, they only developed a close bond while working together on âGossip Girl.â
Penn and Blake supported politician Barack Obama in the 2008 US Presidential elections. They featured in an ad campaign promoting the MoveOn Youth Vote initiative, which was broadcast on The CW, MTV, and Comedy Central.
Penn Badgley, along with actor Shawn Pyfrom, expressed his support for Barack Obama during the 2008 U.S. presidential elections
In 2009, he appeared as âMichael Hardingâ in a psychological horror film titled âThe Stepfather.â
Penn Badgley as âMichael Hardingâ in a still from the film âThe Stepfatherâ (2009)
Penn and Blake broke up in 2010. They kept it so professional on the set of Gossip Girl that their co-stars did not realise that they had split until someone told them.
In March 2010, Penn joined the American Red Crossâ National Celebrity Cabinet, a team of celebrities dedicated to supporting and advocating for the organisationâs services.
In 2010, Penn began exploring spirituality, which was sparked by his concern about the BP oil spillâs environmental impact. His search led him to rainforests in Colombia, where he discovered the Bahåʟà Faith and officially became its member in 2015.
In 2011, Penn began dating ZoÍ Kravitz, an actor and filmmaker he met in New York City. The duo soon began living together. However, they broke up in 2013.
Penn Badgley with ZoĂŤ Kravitz
In 2011, he expressed his support for the Occupy Wall Street movement, a protest against economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of large corporations on government policies.
Penn Badgley at the Occupy Wall Street protest, held in Zuccotti Park, New York City, on 3 October 2011
Penn has travelled to South America multiple times to experience ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew used in spiritual ceremonies. In 2012, he participated in the 5th annual Ayahuasca Monologues, where he humorously shared his profound experiences with the substance.
Penn met singer Domino Kirke in 2014 and began dating that same year. Both shared the Bahåʟà Faith, which strengthened their connection.
Penn portrayed musician Jeff Buckley in the film âGreetings from Tim Buckleyâ (2012), which explored Buckleyâs struggle with his father Timâs legacy. To prepare for the role, Penn took guitar and vocal lessons. He sang live during all his singing scenes in the film.
Penn Badgley as âJeff Buckleyâ in a still from the film âGreetings from Tim Buckleyâ (2012)
Badgley has a collection of guitars, such as a Gibson ES-175, Gibson L-5, Collings C10, and two Fender models: a sea-foam green Stratocaster and a Telecaster Custom. He gifted himself a Gibson L-5 and Collings guitars when he was cast in âGreetings from Tim Buckley.â
!In 2014, Badgley formed a band called âMOTHERâ with members Jimmy Giannopoulos, Simon Oscroft, and Darren Will and released a song titled âEasyâ on SoundCloud.
The members of MOTHXR (from left to right): Simon Oscroft, Jimmy Giannopoulos, Penn Badgley, and Darren Will
In 2015, âMOTHERâ changed the spelling of their name to âMOTHXRâ after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from another band with a similar name.
Later, MOTHXR collaborated with KitsunĂŠ and Washington Square Music, a New York-based subdivision of Razor & Tie. On 26 January 2016, the band released their debut album âCenterfold.â
Penn Badgley and the other band members while recording a song for the album âCenterfoldâ
Penn has been an outspoken advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2016, he participated in What Now? A BET/MTV Town Hall show, where he discussed topics like issues of white privilege and police brutality.
Penn Badgleyâs Instagram post regarding âBlack Lives Matterâ
After three years together, Penn and Domino got married twice in 2017, first at a New York City courthouse in February, then in a bigger ceremony in June.
Penn has written a song for each of his past relationships. He revealed this during a 2013 Elle interview.
Penn Badgleyâs work as âJoe Goldbergâ in Netflixâs psychological thriller âYouâ (2018-2025) was highly appreciated by the viewers and critics. He reportedly charged $55,000 per episode for the series.
!Badgley prefers to avoid intimate scenes due to his personal beliefs and his commitment to his relationship. He even worked to minimise such scenes in the series âYou.â However, for the final season, he broke his rule and agreed to participate in some. While talking about this in an interview, he added,
And actually, [sex scenes] was one of the reasons that I initially wanted to turn the role down [in âYouâ]. I didnât tell anybody that. But that is why.â
On 18 May 2022, Penn collaborated with film writer Nava Kavelin and illustrator Sophie Ansari to launch the podcast Podcrushed, where many guests, including actor Drew Barrymore, shared their middle school stories and discussed awkward and emotional moments.
Penn Badgley with his co-hosts Sophie Ansari (left) and Nava Kavelin (right) at the premiere of a new podcast in June 2022
In December 2018, Penn joined the Tahirih Justice Center to support immigrant women and girls. In January 2019, he helped reunite a migrant mother, Vilma Carrillo, with her daughter Yeisvi after they were separated for over seven months due to the US immigration policies.
Penn Badgleyâs Instagram post about working with Tahirih Justice Center to help release Vilma Carrillo
In June 2024, he was featured in the music video of Ariana Grandeâs song âThe Boy Is Mineâ along with singers Monica and Brandy.
Penn Badgley in a still from the music video of the song âThe Boy is Mineâ (2024)
In 2025, he co-authored the book âCrushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Ageâ in collaboration with Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari.
The cover of the book âCrushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Ageâ (2025)
Penn is an avid animal lover and has two pet dogs, Terrence and Lobo.
Penn Badgleyâs pets, Terrence (left) and Lobo (right)
Badgley has a great interest in soccer and once worked on a project with actor Brad Pitt to bring the World Cup to the US.
He once had an embarrassing moment when he forgot the lyrics to âThe Star-Spangled Bannerâ while performing at a minor-league baseball game.
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