Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley plans to move into producing to create shows that don’t involve the “privileged white male” roles he has played as an actor.
The star, 32, shot to fame in 2007 on the hit show set in an elite Manhattan school. Despite taking on other roles, the actor admits he struggles to shake off his upper-class character, Dan Humphrey.
His new series, You, sees him play Joe, an educated serial killer who becomes obsessed with a young female writer (Elizabeth Lail) and uses social media to stalk her, before killing anyone who could come between them.
The actor now wants to move behind the camera to tell stories about more diverse characters.
He told A List: “Joe is peak white male privilege. I’m interested in telling stories that don’t centre on someone like me, so I would probably have to produce and write, and those things are in the works.”
Badgley said he worried taking on his new role was a risk in the #MeToo era, but thinks the drama will make young viewers question obsessive love.
He said: “You examines ideas about love that we see so often portrayed in media; behaviour of jealousy and obsession.
“If our show can be some small drop in this greater conversation about the equality of men and women, then that’s the best I could hope for.”
You starts on Netflix on December 26
