Penn Badgley was born on the first of November, 1986 in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Richmond, Virginia and Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle, he attended Charles Wright Academy and participated in productions of the Seattle Children’s Theatre. In 1999, he and his mother moved to Hollywood and later began attending Santa Monica Collete. He was also educated for a short time at University of Southern California. Badgley first appeared on television in an episode of Will & Grace. Following that appearance were those on Daddio, The Brothers Garcia and What I Like About You. However, the appearance that gained him recognition was his portrayal of Phillip Chancellor IV in the daytime soap The Young and the Restless. He was also nominated for a 2001 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Daytime Series for this portrayal. Other television credits include The Mountain and The Bedford Diaries. He also appeared in the film John Tucker Must Die, playing John Tucker’s brother.

Dan Humphrey is played by Penn Badgley in the television series Gossip Girl. Dan is a sensitive young poet who is addicted to cigarettes and caffeine. A romantic whose imaginations flies like the wind, he cares a lot about his loved ones, particularly his younger sister, Jenny. He is also a bisexual who had serious relationships with both men and women. Dan is drawn to the elite group of people who live so differently than he does, as he isn’t in the same social or financial circle as they are.