How Penn Badgley Created Joe's Iconic Voice In Netflix's You
"You" wouldn't be "You" without Joe's narration. Through thick and thin, through good times and bad, Joe has shed light on his own inner life via his iconic, often funny, voiceover. In fact, Joe's voice is so integral to "You" that Netflix released a video demonstrating how awkward the show would be without it. Unsurprisingly, the show sans narration essentially becomes a navel-gazing art film (or brilliant silent thriller, depending on how you look at it). Ultimately, fans likely wouldn't have wanted to watch Joe's unhinged, murderous pursuit of Gwen in Season 1 — or any of the serial killer's various exploits, for that matter — if they hadn't connected with that choppy, unsettling, extremely engaging voiceover.
Certain fans of "You" have sometimes wondered how Penn Badgley, the actor who plays Joe, managed to create such an iconic voiceover. And according to the actor, it took more than one episode to get it right.
Penn Badgley savors every word of his voiceover
In a recent interview with Variety, Badgley revealed that he had still been working on his voiceover for well into the first season of "You." However, he had a firm 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."
But there's also that certain quality to Joe's voice that makes the character even more compelling — a quality that Badgley perfectly describes. Naturally, Badgley explained that, as well. "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.
Thankfully, fans can expect more of that odd and delightful choppiness when "You" Season 4 Part 2 comes to Netflix on March 9.