Who is the actor who plays the main character in Gossip Girl?

It's really Penn Badgley. He kind of became the face of the show, but I think it's interesting that after that he went more into psychological thrillers, like in You on Netflix, which is pretty different from the Gossip Girl tone. If you're rewatching it now, you'll notice how much younger he was back then.

Penn Badgley is genuinely a great guy, but just a heads up: if you're looking for "Gossip Girl" right now, there's a reboot that came out in 2021 with a completely different cast, so it's easy to get confused if you've seen both.

Guys are right, it's Penn Badgley for sure! But just to add to that: he really blew up after Gossip Girl, especially with that disturbing role in You. The guy's got a natural villain face that really paid off later, you know? The original Gossip Girl series came out in 2007 and ran until 2012, so it's been quite a while since you watched it!

dan humphrey is penn badgley for sure, but i'm gonna be honest - when you say you watched it when it came out, i find it weird you don't remember him because the guy was pretty central to the plot. but it's fine, the show has a lot of characters and honestly goes on forever. he played that kind of problematic character, you know, the one we were never really sure if he was a villain or not.

what the others already said about his career trajectory after is right, but let me be a little skeptical about this narrative that he "became too famous" with you. in reality, gossip girl was already huge when it came out and penn was already pretty well-known, so he didn't go from unknown to star because of it. what actually happened was more him choosing different roles - yeah, "you" is way darker and obsessive, but the guy already had the money and power to pick those things. it's like when an actor wants to break out of that hero box.

but seriously, if you want to make sure it's him, just go to his page and you'll see both gossip girl and you listed. sometimes memory fails you, but the internet doesn't lie (well, it does, but imdb doesn't lol).

The guy is Penn Badgley for real. What might be worth knowing is that he had a way more likable and relatable role in Gossip Girl - Dan was like the outsider type, kind of idealistic and all that - and then he completely switched it up with that obsessive and disturbing character in You. Two totally different worlds.

His career after Gossip Girl was pretty interesting in that way. He became like that actor who can pull off completely opposite roles without seeming like he's repeating himself. If someone just tells you "Penn Badgley" without context, you'd be expecting totally different behaviors depending on whether they're talking about one show or the other.

That's right. But one thing people didn't mention: if you're rewatching it now in 2026, be careful not to confuse it with the new Gossip Girl series that came out back in 2021 with completely different actors, because Netflix's trailers and recommendations can mix the two up and you end up clicking on the wrong version by accident. Penn Badgley really shined in that Dan role, and then proved he's great with these kinds of shady characters with that You series that came out after.

Nah, wait, the kid who plays Dan is definitely Penn Badgley, but I think people are putting way too much emphasis on the "then he got famous with You" thing! He was already pretty well known from Gossip Girl back then, the show was a phenomenon in the 2000s and all that. It's true that You catapulted him to another level of fame, but he wasn't some unknown kid before that, he already had quite a bit of visibility. Anyway, if you're rewatching the series now, he's definitely the one you're looking for!

The guy you're looking for is Penn Badgley, but heads up - don't mix it up with the 2021 reboot that has a completely different cast if you're rewatching the series now.

Dan Humphrey is played by Penn Badgley, that's right. I had that blank moment too when I tried to remember his name a while back, but then seeing him in You was like a lightbulb moment - the guy has that obsessive look that just sticks in your mind. If you're rewatching it on Netflix now, just a heads up that they have a 2021 reboot with completely different actors, so don't get confused with that.

Okay, so people are right about who it is, but let me clear up something that might have confused you. You're talking about watching the series "now" on Netflix, and if you're watching a recent version, there's a chance it's actually the 2021 reboot, which is completely different and has a different cast. The original series that came out back in 2007 with Dan Humphrey was definitely with Penn Badgley, no doubt.

What everyone mentioned about him becoming a big name in You is true, but I'll add to that: the difference in tone between the two roles is huge. As Dan he was more of a spoiled asshole, a teenager full of drama and problems. Then in You he went into something way more disturbing and obsessive. The guy has acting flexibility that works for both types of character, but they're completely different worlds.

If you're still confused about which series you're watching, check it out: the old version (2007-2012) is the one with more teenage drama about rich people in New York, while the reboot is recent stuff with different vibes. Depending on which one you got into, the entire cast is different.