Penn Badgley says he had an 'out-of-body experience' while filming his final line for 'Gossip Girl'

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Penn Badgley says he had an 'out-of-body experience' while filming his final line for 'Gossip Girl'
Penn Badgley on the series finale of "Gossip Girl." The CW
  • "Gossip Girl" star Penn Badgley said the most challenging scene to film was from the series finale.
  • Badgley told Esquire that he couldn't stop laughing when his character said, "Gossip Girl's dead."
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Penn Badgley said that the most challenging scene to film from "Gossip Girl" was one from the series finale, in which his character, Dan Humphrey, said that the titular blogger was "dead."

"I could not keep it together," Badgley said in a new interview as part of Esquire's "Explain This" video series. "Something came over me and I just couldn't say it. I kept laughing. I couldn't stop. I was sweating. I was having an out-of-body experience."

The "You" star was referring to a line uttered by Dan toward the end of the episode, shortly after everyone learned that he was the mysterious blogger who meddled in their lives for years.

Badgley and costar Chace Crawford (Nate Archibald) have both agreed that the identity of Gossip Girl made no sense. However, the finale tried to justify Dan as the blogger by reasoning that the character wanted to be part of the elite group but knew he wouldn't fit in because he wasn't born into wealth. So, "Lonely Boy" inserted himself into that world via GG.

Penn Badgley says he had an 'out-of-body experience' while filming his final line for 'Gossip Girl'
Penn Badgley on "Gossip Girl." The CW

The revelation caused confusion among the main characters, many of whom suspected that others seemed like more plausible choices for GG. Dan admitted to his father that he "screwed up, plenty of times" but "always tried to do the right thing."

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Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) was less forgiving, saying that "Gossip Girl ruined our lives." Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), in defense of Dan, said that his actions benefited the whole group.

"He made me realize that I don't want to run away, that you guys are my family and I belong here," Serena said. "And so does Dan."

"So I guess that means it's all over now, that we can all grow up and move on?" Blair said, coming to terms with the big reveal.

In response, Dan said: "Yeah. Gossip Girl's dead."

That was Dan's last line on the show. Then, the finale jumped ahead five years to his and Serena's wedding.

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