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The Weight of Playing a Psychopath – Penn Badgley

Alex O'Connor | October 10, 2025



The full episode is available now on Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com/p/penn-badgley-on-playing-a-psychopath

To donate to my PayPal (thank you): http://www.paypal.me/cosmicskeptic

– VIDEO NOTES

Penn Badgley is an actor best known for his roles in Netflix’s You and the popular drama series Gossip Girl. He is less known as a podcaster and member of the Baháʼí Faith, a religion which teaches that there is a historical unity between major world religions and their prophets, having itself developed out of a branch of Twelver Shia Islam in the 19th century.

– LINKS

Penn’s podcast: ​⁠@podcrushed

– CONNECT

My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com

SOCIAL LINKS:

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The Within Reason Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/within-reason/id1458675168

– CONTACT

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Written by Alex O'Connor

Comments

This post currently has 46 comments.

  2. @emmamlis927

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    Joe is way too sweet to be an accurate portrayal. I've briefly dated guys who are on this spectrum and they're very cruel in daily life, not just in dramatic moments and arguments. Joe would likely be racist of sexist in his inner dialogue too, which he isn't in this show.

  4. @danzmind27

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    Having watched this fantastic series and loving it, my partner said how much was borrowed from Dexter. I've now completed Dexter and must say, there's more than a hat tipping to that series.

  7. @Greensvenner

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    Just from the title alone and I think you should be able to know this before the interview too, he plays a sociopath not a psychopath but I guess in reality neither are an official diagnosis.

  13. @ElijahFousse-c5z

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    So, we know that Artists always sign their artwork. You see their signature on their artwork. And there's a protein in our bodies called Laminin that holds our body together. It's in the shape of a cross. And in the Bible Jesus holds everything together. Just like the cross-shaped Laminin.

    And the Bible says man was made from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7) — and guess what science found? Our bodies contain the exact same elements as the dirt beneath our feet.

    Coincidence? Or design? We are signed, formed, and filled God himself.

  15. @scaryperi3051

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    Just a reminder that there is no conclusive evidence for the existence of any so-called personality disorders, that modern psychology is full of unscientific concepts that cannot be scientifically falsified, and that the DSM is not a scientific work; the bulk of psychology is based on subjective experience and thus is not science nor can it ever be such.

  24. @AJHartung

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    YES ! when you interact about the Over Complexity of many characters portrayed AS real. Composites in today's Documentary Video Commentaries they ARE far. More complex than any ONE individual. can truly be . I have been fortunate during . my experiences to cross many social. & cultural pathways . which has only increased my. Natural. Genetic Heritages curiosity That nagging incessant ' Why " . I was given from my upbringing the ability to learn my own traits & how best to use , modify or prioritize them as I found my path through the forest . Thus I am. Convinced " one man cannot be all things ' … thank you for another interview between interacting intellects allowing me a chance to increase my own consciousness of possible & the impossible …. a-j h

  32. @Tess78uk

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    Alex, check out Mike Leigh’s 90s film ‘Naked’. I think you’d find it interesting. It portrays two characters who have a lot of characteristics that look like either Narcissism or psychopathy. I’d assume NPD, if they were real life characters. One of the characters is a kind of pseudo-intellectual-philosopher who constantly berates other characters with Nihilistic ideas, conspiracy theory and gratuitous cruelty. It’s interesting seeing this depiction of an abusive Narcissist blended with a ‘philosophising’ character. It would be amazing if you could make a video about this!

  36. @ryancooke7033

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    Alex it’s amazing watching your videos and it always strikes me when you say you are in search of God but God is silent. You have you done your scholarly research to the nth degree and have came up empty handed, like a dog trying to find its tail by researching books. You will find God someday, I know you will. And it’s never in the way we plan. But I can’t wait to see your first video after you do!!! Namaste! 🙏🏻

  40. @anna-tn8mg

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    He is uniquely qualified. He just has to BE himself.
    Boy, do I despise the Hollywood preschool dropouts and their role in the destruction of the country.
    dr anna

  43. @highwaysicallhome6863

    October 10, 2025 at 11:35 am

    I kinda missed the point when the actors got so intellectual and reflective.
    I still don't feel like he answered the question about what part of him is activated for this. In the age of mental health awareness he could probably contribute to some understanding of those processes, still it's an ethical dilemma.
    As a person who probably has bpd, it was very hard for me to watch the show because I felt the obsessive aspect of his behaviour reflective of my own Shadow.
    But the psychopatic aspects are more interesting to learn, especially in a context of a psychological thriller. I think therapy can benefit greatly from studying the inner processes of actors who play such characters and we can learn a lot about the workings of the projection and unconscious. Which in turn can really benefit a lot of people. Just a thought

Comments are closed.

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