Netflix’s You: Why Penn Badgley accepts Joe Goldberg

Netflix

Hello, you.

Netflix’s most notorious fictional killer Joe Goldberg is back – but, this time, with a twist.

For season four of the thriller, he’s moved to London, taken up a job as a literature professor and infiltrated a group of incredibly wealthy friends.

London might be new to Joe – but it isn’t new to Penn Badgley, the actor famous for Joe’s creepy voiceovers.

“I wasn’t able to be with my family as much as I would have liked to,” he tells BBC Newsbeat about filming last year.

“Apart from that, it was a great time, I remember it so fondly. I do truly love something of the culture there.

“My wife is British, she was born and raised there until she was a teenager so I just really truly did enjoy it.”

Joe Goldberg

Netflix

So Penn enjoyed being in the UK, but what about his famous character?

“I think in some ways he settled in quite nicely, apart from the fact that he’s Joe Goldberg and he can’t settle in anywhere nicely,” he says.

“[London is] the source of the fantasies in Joe’s mind about how people should be, the literature that he loves.

“He’s really trying to make a go of it and I think at the beginning you see him on one level doing a good enough job.

“Of course by the end of the first episode, you discover that’s not the case.”

This series also sees the introduction of British actors like new love interest Charlotte Ritchie and Tilly Keeper, who was previously in EastEnders, as a famous It girl.

Tati Gabrielle also returns as Marienne, another of Joe’s love interests – yes, he’s had a few.

“When I found out he was coming to London, I was really quite thrilled,” Tilly says.

“I think it really plays into this nice kind of dark academia vibe we’ve got going on this season.”

Tilly Keeper and Charlotte Ritchie

Netflix

Joe has always been a controversial character.

And there have been concerns that the show glamorises stalking and male violence against women.

Penn has spoken – at length – about how much he hates Joe, there’s even YouTube compilations dedicated to clips of him criticising the character in interviews.

Speaking to Newsbeat, Penn clarifies that he doesn’t “despise” Joe – but does say that he finds it draining playing the character.

“It takes a lot of emotional, spiritual and physical energy to play him for so long,” he says.

“Because he’s such an unreliable narrator and so inconsistently manic. He’s predictably unpredictable.

“But I think more than ever, I probably accept him and I think I think despising him would take up even more energy, which I don’t want to give him.”

Penn might be tired of Joe’s antics, but there’s no sign that this will be the last series.

“That’s a question for the writers. I think the question is, is there another season?

“And I think for those who haven’t seen it yet, I don’t want to spoil whether or not that’s possible.”

line

Newsbeat logo

Follow Newsbeat on Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back.

You may also like...