Penn Badgley Movies
Baltimore-born actor Penn Badgley first started landing a string of roles in his mid-teens, finding his first major part with the short-lived fantasy comedy series Do Over, on the WB. Then-16-year-old Badgley starred on that program as Joel Larsen, a 34-year-old loser salesman propelled back into his high-school body to relive his teenage years and alter the course of his adult life. Following the cancelation of that show, the WB provided Badgley with his next two major roles, though both turned out to be equally shortlived; he played Sam Tunney on the soapy drama The Mountain (2004) and Owen Gregory on the ensemble collegiate series drama The Bedford Diaries (2006). Shortly thereafter, Badgley could be seen in the high-school teen comedy John Tucker Must Die.It was in 2007 that the young actor finally found his first small-screen hit, when he was cast in a lead role on Gossip Girl, a teen drama on the fledgling CW network (itself a successor to the WB and UPN). The actor played Dan Humphrey, a Brooklyn-dwelling aspiring writer who goes to an elite private high school where his classmates are mostly Upper East Side snobs; the show became a big hit for the network, and gave Badgley his first taste of true stardom. In 2009, he took on a starring role in the remake of the classic '80s horror film The Stepfather. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- PG13
- Add The Stepfather to Queue
When a teenage boy (Penn Badgley) begins to suspect that his new stepfather (Dylan Walsh) is a notorious serial killer who preys on broken families, he races to gather the evidence that will back up his radical claim before it's too late. The 1987 thriller that shot Lost star Terry O'Quinn to cult stardom serves as inspiration for this remake penned by J.S. Cardone and directed by Nelson McCormick. Sela Ward, Jon Tenney, and Amber Heard co-star in a Screen Gems release. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, (more)
A talented but troubled high-school rugby star gets a second shot at redemption after being sentenced to serve time in a Salt Lake City boys' home and landing a coveted spot on the famed Highland High School rugby team in this inspirational sports drama from director Ryan Little (Saints and Soldiers, Everything You Want). Rick Penning (Sean Faris ) was the star player on his Arizona rugby team until his life took a turn for the worse. Now, after a fateful brush with the law, Rick finds himself out of the spotlight and forced to ponder the consequences of his actions in a Salt Lake City juvenile detention center. As fate would have it, however, Salt Lake's famed Highland High rugby team could use a player like Rick. With a little help from coach Larry Gelwix (Gary Cole), Rick may even be able to lead the Highland High team to the national championships. When Rick discovers that the team they'll be competing against is none other than his old team from Arizona, which is coached by his father, Richard Penning (Neal McDonough), the deciding game takes on a newfound sense of gravity in the eyes of the ambitious young athlete. Arielle Kebbel and Sean Astin co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Faris, Gary Cole, (more)
Want to know a secret? A really juicy secret? Look no further than the latest message from Manhattan's notorious blogger Gossip Girl. She keeps tabs on the city's most elite teens as they make the rounds from the preppiest school events to the most lavish, decadent parties. And between Serena and Blair's explosive friendship, Dan and Serena's budding romance, Nate and Blair's fairytale relationship (or is it?), Chuck's escapades and Jenny's introduction to the glamorous life, there's a lot to track! In this 5-disc, 18-episode Season One, friends, lovers, rivals and enemies abound. Even the darkest secrets don't stay hidden for long. You know you love it. XOXO!
- Starring:
- Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, (more)
- 2006
An "ensemble drama" along the lines of The O.C. -- but with characters who wore more clothes and stayed indoors more often -- the WB network's weekly, hour-long Bedford Diaries was set at fictional Bedford college, a liberal-arts establishment somewhere in Manhattan (the series was lensed on-location at Barnard College).The focus of the drama was "Sex and the Human Condition," a seminar presided over by Kinsey-like professor Jack Macklin. Heading the cast was onetime Gilmore Girls co-star Milo Ventimiglia as Richard Thorne III, a wealthy student and recovering alcoholic, who was rather sweet on straight-A student Sarah Gregory (Tiffany DuPont) -- who in turn was having an affair with one of the teachers. Owen Gregory (Penn Badgley), Sarah's brother, was dating the resident (and self-proclaimed) "nutcase," Natalie Dykstra (Corri English). Other enrollees included freshman Lee Rasmussen (Ernest Waddell), torn between his high-school sweetheart and classroom seductress Zoe Lopez (Victoria Cartagena); Macklin's assistant, Prof. Carla Bonatella (Audra McDonald); and Harold Harper (Peter Gerety), Bedford's dean. Originally slated to debut in February 2006, Bedford Diaries did not make its WB bow until March 29 of that year, due to its producers' trepidations over presenting such raw, uninhibited material in an era of heavy FCC fines (virtually all of the episodes dealt with a particularly lurid aspect of contemporary sexuality, albeit always stressing personal responsibility over the antiquated "if it feels good, do it" attitude). However, the series was telecast uncut in Canada, and was likewise uncensored on the WB's Internet web stream. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Three teenagers two-timed by a local lothario decide to turn the tables on him in this romantic comedy. John Tucker (Jesse Metcalfe) is the big man on campus at his high school -- he's the captain and star player of the basketball team, he's got money, he's good-looking and charming, and he can have any girl he wants. However, the latter attribute is about to get him in serious trouble when three different girls at his school -- Heather (Ashanti), Beth (Sophia Bush) and Carrie (Arielle Kebbel) -- discover they've all been dating John at the same time. Determined to bring down the campus ladykiller, the girls devise a plan -- they pick a cute but socially clumsy girl who is new at school, Kate (Brittany Snow), and give her a crash course in stealing John's heart. Once Kate has John wrapped around her little finger, she's supposed to drop him like a bad habit and give him a taste of what heartbreak is really like. However, it seems that the early stages of the plan work a little too well, and John and Kate end up falling for each other for real. John Tucker Must Die also stars Jenny McCarthy, Penn Badgley, and Dan Payne. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, (more)
- 2002
One of two new series for the 2002-2003 season based upon the premise of "You CAN go home again" (the other was ABC's That Was Then), Do Over starred Penn Badgley as Joel Larsen, an unhappy, unmarried 34-year-old salesman. Thanks to a freak accident, Joel was thrust back to the year 1981, when he was a 14-year-old high school freshman. A seasoned adult trapped in the body of an ingenuous teenager (with the requisite raging hormones), Joel was given the opportunity to make the "right" choices to straighten out his later life -- and to save his extremely dysfunctional family from all manner of seemingly preordained disasters. Do Over was telecast on Thursday evenings beginning September 19, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penn Badgley, Angela Goethals, (more)
