Are you obsessed with Penn Badgley’s Netflix show ‘You’? Penn as Joe Goldberg has sent shivers down many a spine. However, Badgley’s career is far more complex than just the toxic role he plays in this series.
He has also played a range of characters who offer a refreshing contrast to Joe—characters who could easily be classified as "green flags." This duality of Badgley’s roles prompts an interesting exploration of how we perceive actors based on the characters they play and why certain roles tend to dominate the conversation.
While the final season is out and fans cannot get enough, we look at some other major red flag and green flag characters played by Penn Badgley throughout his career.
Penn’s green flag characters
While Joe Goldberg has garnered the most attention, Penn Badgley has also portrayed characters that are anything but toxic. In ‘Easy A’, his character Todd exemplifies the “green flag” man—he is emotionally mature, kind-hearted, and accepting of others for who they are, free from shallow societal expectations.
Similarly, in ‘John Tucker Must Die’, Badgley plays Scott Tucker, a sweet, and emotionally intelligent young man. These roles demonstrate Badgley’s range, offering a glimpse into his ability to portray characters who embody emotional depth and sincerity—qualities that often go unnoticed in comparison to his more controversial roles.
Joe Goldberg: The Ultimate Red Flag
Joe Goldberg, the anti-hero of ‘You’, is undoubtedly one of the most memorable red-flag characters on television. Joe’s obsession with control, manipulation, and stalking are traits that make him a textbook example of an unhealthy man.
In a recent interview, Badgley spoke about his role and the way it has pushed him to reflect on the behavior he wants to avoid. Recently, while speaking to Awards Daily, Penn admitted that he was uncertain about his character Joe Goldberg. He acknowledged that the character was dangerous yet interesting, "I first started reading the script. I was compelled by the project as a whole. I think I was uncertain about Joe, and that uncertainty was increased by reading the book. The book is unrelenting because you never get outside of his mind."
The actor further added how it is not easy to get rid of a character that one has been playing for so many years, "When you fake-strangle somebody, your nervous system doesn't quite know that you're not actually strangling someone. When you see fake blood and you're pretending to stab someone - your physical system isn't used to seeing something visceral like that and it being fake. It does take a toll."
The Dan Humphrey theory: An extreme version of ‘Gossip Girl’s’ Dan
Fans of ‘You’ have drawn parallels between Joe Goldberg and Badgley’s earlier role as Dan Humphrey in ‘Gossip Girl’, often theorising that Joe is a kind of "devolved" version of Dan.
While both characters tend to be introverted “outsiders” of sorts, the differences are stark. Dan, despite his flaws, is a character who genuinely strives to do the right thing, even when his actions lead him down morally grey paths.
Do toxic roles get more attention?
Badgley’s roles as characters like Todd or Scott, the "green flags," often take a backseat to his portrayal of morally-complex figures like Joe Goldberg. There's something fascinating about watching characters like Joe unravel, even as we disapprove of their actions. So, is that why his red flag characters are more appealing than the green flag ones?
