Penn Badgley, who stars as a stalker in the hit Netflix series You, has revealed that he “always” gets the same note from his director on how to make his masturbation scenes less “creepy”.
In the series, his character Joe Goldberg becomes obsessed with the women he dates, and at numerous points is seen secretly watching them and masturbating.
Speaking on this week’s episode of the Podcrushed podcast, Badgley said: “I’ve now done it so many times on camera. It’s a strange – you don’t think it’s going to be that big of a deal.
“And then you discover in front of a crew of people with a camera on your face, knowing that, in all likelihood, millions of people are going to see this, you’re simulating masturbation.”
He added: “I’ve always gotten the note to make it less creepy. They say like, ‘Close your eyes or go faster or go slower.’ I’m like, ‘What? This man is f***ing murder people, and he’s masturbating in the street. You’re saying I’m making it creepy? How is it I’m the one making it creepy?’”
The actor said that director Lee Toland Krieger told him, “Buddy, I think you gotta close your eyes.”
Badgley said that making it creepy is “the f***ing point”, adding that having a balance of “toxicity… while also trying to be sexy” is the “strange line that we’re always walking on our show”.
The fourth season of You, which will be set in Paris, is expected to land on Netflix early next year.
