The Visible Man
New York magazine|August 30 - September 12, 2021
Penn Badgley is famous for his roles as a gossip and a stalker—and he’s a little disturbed by what fans see in him.
Jackson McHenry
The Visible Man

Penn Badgley spends a lot of time thinking about a just end for the serial killer he plays on TV, if justice were ever to exist in the universe of You. His character is Joe Goldberg, a bookish, seemingly nice guy who has a habit of stalking and killing the women he loves and anyone who gets in his way. So far, Joe has eluded any attempts to thwart his bloodshed, slipping from a literary New York in the first season to a health-food-and-crystals Los Angeles in the second. When You returns for its third season this October, Joe is a golly-gee young father living in a fictional Bay Area suburb populated by tech billionaires, anti-vaxxers, and mommy bloggers. His new wife, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), is just as willing to kill for love as Joe is, but his violent tendencies remain unsated. “When we watch a character like Joe, do we want him to pay?” Badgley muses. “Do we want retribution? Do we want vengeance?”

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEW YORK MAGAZINEView all
A Wonk in Full- Ezra Klein, glowed-up and post-coup, was almost a celebrity at the convention.
New York magazine

A Wonk in Full- Ezra Klein, glowed-up and post-coup, was almost a celebrity at the convention.

Ezra Klein, glowed-up and post-coup, was almost a celebrity at the convention. Ezra Klein, who is known to keep his passions in check, did not have the right credentials to get into the arena. The Secret Service didn't recognize the New York Times' star "Opinion" writer and podcaster, but eventually he was able to figure out how to get in to where he belonged. This was, after all, as much his convention as any journalist's, since its high-energy optimism turned on the fact that President Joe Biden was no longer leading the ticket and, starting early this year, Klein had led the coup drumbeat.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 26 - September 08, 2024
The Afterlife of Donald Trump - The presidential hopeful contemplates his campaign, his formidable new opponent, and the miracle of his continued existence.
New York magazine

The Afterlife of Donald Trump - The presidential hopeful contemplates his campaign, his formidable new opponent, and the miracle of his continued existence.

Donald Trump raised his right hand and grabbed hold of it. He bent it backward and forward. I asked if I could take a closer look. These days, the former president and current triple threat-convicted felon, Republican presidential nominee, and recent survivor of an assassination attempt-comes from a place of yes. He waved me over to where he sat on this August afternoon, in a low-to-the-ground chair upholstered in cream brocade fabric in the grand living room at Mar-a-Lago.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
Danzy Senna Can't Stop Thinking in Black and White
New York magazine

Danzy Senna Can't Stop Thinking in Black and White

Her latest novel holds diminishing returns.

time-read
6 mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
Live, Laugh, Love
New York magazine

Live, Laugh, Love

Dick jokes meet sentimentality in a wily Sandler-Safdie collab.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
Tim Burton Is Great Again
New York magazine

Tim Burton Is Great Again

A long-awaited sequel revels in gore and nostalgia.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
In the Shack With Robert Caro
New York magazine

In the Shack With Robert Caro

The Power Broker is turning 50. The final LBJ book is almostwell, he won't say exactly, but he's trying for 900 words a day.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
24 Comedians You Should Know RIGHT NOW
New York magazine

24 Comedians You Should Know RIGHT NOW

THE COMEDY industry is undergoing a metamorphosis in 2024. Name-brand venues like the Second City and UCB are opening or reopening in New York, beloved local spots are being bought out by megacorporations, and streaming-service-helmed comedy festivals are usurping the old-fashioned ones. Post-WGA strike, TV-development execs are growing green-light-shy, Hulu is entering the stand-up fray, and YouTube specials are becoming just as worthy of watching as Netflix specials, if not more so.

time-read
9 mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
Leading Lady
New York magazine

Leading Lady

Anna Sawai could take home the Emmy for her performance in Shogun. But she's keeping her cool.

time-read
8 mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Le Même Veau
New York magazine

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Le Même Veau

The Frenchette crew has taken over the 87-year-old restaurant, and the snails are as garlicky and the duck as pink as ever.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024
DESIGN HUNTING: A LOFT WITH A HIGHER PURPOSE
New York magazine

DESIGN HUNTING: A LOFT WITH A HIGHER PURPOSE

Ali Richmond, co-founder of the nonprofit Fashion for All Foundation, has lived in this Brooklyn loft for almost 20 years with his archive of designer clothing.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 09 - 22, 2024