Penn Badgley knows you loved him as Joe Goldberg

Last Tuesday, Jan. 15, the Greenbelt Gallery was completely surrounded by a swarm of fans—phones were held up in the air, with booming voices calling the attention of two Hollywood stars: Penn Badgley and Shay Mitchell.

The two star in what is proving to be Netflix's first global phenomenon of 2019, a thriller based on Caroline Kepner's "You." Its episodes were first released last Christmas, but it's undeniable that the show's popularity continues to rise.

Badgley asked the crowd for a show of hands, curious to see who were troubled by the character he was playing—Joe Goldberg. "Not too many, I see," he said. Fans then screamed they loved Joe. "You probably loved me playing as him," the 32-year-old actor joked.

Badgley revealed he didn't have that much fun as the lead, but only because it wasn't a type of character worth celebrating. "The scenes with Shay (playing Peach) were the most fun, the scenes with Paco were the most heartwarming, and the scenes with Beck were the most heartbreaking," Badgley shared.

According to Badgley and Mitchell, who plays Joe Goldberg and Peach Salinger respectively, "You" has been a meta experience to watch. The stars pointed out that the show touches a lot on how people nowadays project images of themselves and their lives online and, on the flipside, how social media is used as a tool for one to build their own perceptions of people.

But that's not all that makes it relevant and relatable—it's that underlying desire to connect and develop meaningful human relationships that is consistent among all its characters. Only for some of "You's" personalities, this desire is carried out to the extreme.

The 10-episode series centers on the charming Joe Goldberg. He's been tagged as the last nice guy in New York, a real score to anyone who fancies a guy who reads (and could give you a lecture on classic literature). But behind his unassuming and kind front is a troubled man, engulfed by his insecurities and outrageous fears.

Photo by Karl Hui for alike. This article was previously published by alike Media.