Penn Badgley Reveals Where His ‘Joe’ Voice on ‘You’ Comes From

Since its debut on Netflix in 2018, the psychological thriller series You has captured audiences with its captivating storyline and intriguing characters. The show follows the life of Joe Goldberg, a dangerously charming and passionately obsessive young man. Joe will stop at nothing to become a part of the lives of the people he is obsessed with. 

One of the most distinctive features of Joe’s character is his voice. Penn Badgley, who portrays Joe, has a unique way of delivering Joe’s lines that adds to the character’s overall creepiness. In a recent interview, Badgley revealed where his “Joe” voice comes from and how he created it for the series.

‘You’ wouldn’t be ‘You’ without Joe’s narration

Joe has used his signature, often humorous voiceover to reveal his inner life through thick and thin, in good times and bad. In fact, Netflix published a video showing how strange You would be without Joe’s voice. 

Without the voiceover, the show predictably devolves into an introspective art film or brilliant silent thriller, depending on how you look at it. In the end, viewers probably wouldn’t have cared to watch Joe’s crazed, deadly pursuit of Gwen in season 1 — or any of the serial killer’s numerous exploits — if they hadn’t connected with his jerky, unnerving, and highly compelling voiceover.

Penn Badgley reveals where his ‘Joe’ voice comes from

Several You fans have wondered how Badgley manages to provide his memorable voiceover. Speaking to Variety, Badgley revealed that he had still been working on his voiceover well into the first season of You. However, he had a strong vision for what he wanted to portray. 

“The way I came across the voice, it was episodes one through six of season 1,” Badgley explained. “From what I recall, I was trying to bring a level of comedy and levity to the voiceover that I think is still in there.”

The Oxford Film Festival Award winner captures the unique sound of Joe’s voice, which adds to the character’s appeal. As expected, Badgley elaborated on that, too. “I just tried to savor every single word, actually, and that’s where that odd cadence and rhythm comes from, the sort of choppiness of it,” he said.

Season 4 of ‘You’ has two parts

Unlike previous seasons, You season 4 has been split into a two-part release. Part 1 (the first five episodes) dropped on Netflix on Feb. 9, and part 2 dropped on March 9.

The third season of You ended with Joe rushing off to Paris to start a new life with his new love interest, Marienne. In season 4, part 1, we see him leaving Paris after being rejected by Marienne.

Our favorite serial killer eventually finds himself in London. There, he pretends to be a professor and mixes with the obscenely wealthy English upper class. At first, he tries to keep a low profile, but things inevitably turn violent.

In previous seasons of You, we usually see Joe meeting a girl, becoming obsessed with her, and then killing multiple people to win her heart. This time, though, we get a series full of mysteries and a thrilling game of cat and mouse as Joe’s new friends start getting murdered one by one. Those first five episodes take us on a scary ride. We follow Joe trying to identify the killer behind the “Eat the Rich Killer” moniker.

The new season of You has us hooked.