'You' star Penn Badgley talks body dysmorphia
Penn Badgley says he hated his body growing up.
Actor Penn Badgley has revealed that he suffered from body dysmorphia as a child.
While a doctor or psychologist didn't diagnose him, Badgley tells The Guardian that he put on weight due to overeating.
"I know that I hated my body and simply wanted a different one.”
He says that overeating was possibly a coping method related to his parents' divorce and social isolation.
"There was just a period where, coming out of depression and isolation, I was jumping wilfully into, but also being thrust into, this world where the more conventionally beautiful I seemed, the more successful I might be, the more value I might have," he said.
According to Mayo Clinic, "body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others. But you may feel so embarrassed, ashamed and anxious that you may avoid many social situations."
As a child actor, Badgley often admired the men he saw in movies and wanted to look like them.
"There’s no way to get past the superficiality of this work, and if you recognise that, you can’t help but recognise the superficiality of our culture, because of the way it rewards this work," the former 'Young and the Restless' star told The Guardian.
As he gained fame on shows like 'Gossip Girl', Badgley says he didn't like "the superficial celebrity aspect of the way" he was perceived.
His spirituality and faith helped him "persevere through the disillusionment" of fame, money and celebrity.
Badgley is gearing up for the new season of his popular Netflix series 'You'.
The fifth and final season of the psychological thriller series will debut on April 24.
Badgley plays murderous stalker Joe Goldberg in the series. He didn't give any details away but told The Guardian that he is satisfied with Goldberg's end.
"Nothing is really good enough. There’s levels to it; it’s not just like: does he die? Does he go to jail? Is he tortured? Does he live and is he miserable alone? It’s really about how we get there.”
In a separate interview with Extra TV, Badgley says he isn't sad to see the character's end.
"It is bittersweet. It's sweeter than it is bittersweet. To be honest, practically, the concept needed to come to a close. Everybody was in agreement there... We need to bring this man to his rightful end, and I think we did so."
Watch the season five trailer of 'You' below.
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Main image credit: YouTube/ Netflix