Overview

• Penn Badgley described Gossip Girl as being centered on aesthetics, emphasizing its focus on characters' appearances and visual style.
• He shared that his childhood struggles with body dysmorphia were exacerbated by Hollywood's emphasis on conventional beauty and success.
• Badgley revealed mixed feelings about his time on the show, expressing discomfort with the superficial celebrity culture it fostered.
• The actor called fame isolating and unnatural, highlighting its psychological toll and the sacrifices it demands.
• Gossip Girl, based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s novels, ran from 2007 to 2012; neither Badgley nor Blake Lively returned for the 2021 revival on Max.