American actor Penn Badgley was born Penn Dayton Badgley on November 1, 1986 in Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his role as Dan Humphrey in the television series Gossip Girl on The CW.

Badgley spent his childhood years splitting his time between Woodlake, Virginia and Seattle, Washington. He attended Woolridge Elementary and later transferred to the honors program at Swift Creek Elementary, where he played soccer. He also went to Charles Wright Academy, where he was involved with the Seattle Children’s Theatre. He began doing voice-overs for children’s radio stations, which led to him discovering his love for acting.

At the age of eleven, Penn moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting, and also recorded a pop single in 1998. At fourteen, he completed his California High School Proficiency Exam and he then went to Santa Monica City College.  He was accepted to the University of Southern California, but had to defer admission because of his contractual obligations. His first big break was a guest-starring role on Will & Grace (1998). He also had recurring roles on The Young and the Restless (1973), The Brothers Garcia (2000) and Daddio (2000).

In 2007, Penn Badgley was cast in the teen drama series Gossip Girl on The CW. Based on the book series of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar, the show follows a group of young socialites growing up on the Upper East Side of New York. They revolves around their experiences attending an elite academic institution while dealing with sex, drugs, and other teenage issues.

Badgley plays the role of Dan Humphrey, the son of a former rock star named Rufus Humphrey (played by Matthew Settle). He is the brother of Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) and the love interest of Upper East Side’s “it” girl Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively).