Penn Badgley, now 38, discussed the challenges of separating his real life from playing Dan Humphrey in an interview with “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper. The actor recalled feeling like he was living a fictional character’s life when filming Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012.
Badgley noted that it was hard to separate his personal life from his role as Dan, who dated Blake Lively and Serena on the show. “You’re in your early 20s, and I feel like a lot of the character you were being had parallels,” he said.
The immersive experience of filming a TV show made it difficult for Badgley to distinguish between reality and his character. He explained that celebrity culture at that time often asked him for dating advice, which he didn’t have any experience with.
Badgley admitted he was “not interested” in playing Dan at first, but ultimately took the role due to financial reasons and a desire to work in New York City.
The actor recalled finding out he would be playing Gossip Girl just before filming began. He joked that he could not see himself with those sideburns in real life.
As Badgley approaches his 40th birthday next year, he will still be answering questions about the show he joined at 20. However, he notes that this longevity comes with a challenge to learn how to work with the character’s legacy and resist its influence.
Source: https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/penn-badgley-on-blake-lively-romance-and-gossip-girl-revelations