Penn Badgley says his 'You' role "has been this exercise in understanding all the things I want to avoid"

With the fifth and final season of You quickly approaching, Penn Badgley is opening up about how the character of serial killer Joe Goldberg has caused a lot of reflection for him personally.

"My 30s have been officially defined by him,” he expressed during an interview with The Guardian. "It’s possible that [Goldberg has] made me a better person because he’s caused a lot of reflection." 

He continued to explain, "Ultimately, the show is about misconceptions or modern myths about love and about masculinity. I’ve been reflecting on love and what that means, and what it means to be a man and a father and a husband, [while] all these things were starting to happen to me in real life as well."

He recalls how the character "has been this exercise in understanding all the things I want to avoid," before adding, "That’s kind of obvious to say, like, don’t kill, don’t manipulate, don’t be a predator. But what I’ve had to do is try to understand, in some manner, where these things come from. I’ve found similarities, and had to understand how it could have been possible for me to end up that way, rather than the way that I am."