Duff Badgley Lives Like a Monk – Meet Penn Badgley's Father

Duff Badgley, actor Penn Badgley's father, is not anyone's ordinary dad. Moving from one interesting career to another, and embracing an unconventional lifestyle, are among the things that make Duff different.

Actor Penn Badgley's character in the series "You" is known for being eccentric. Like the Hollywood star's character, it seems his father, Duff Badgley, is equally quirky.

Despite his son's fame, Duff has opted to live a reclusive lifestyle and has refrained from using the internet. Fans of the actor are curious about Duff's current pursuits.

Duff is proud of his son Penn for establishing himself as a prominent actor in the entertainment industry. Penn's exceptional talent has been evident across several movies and TV shows.

The actor's role as Dan Humphrey in the much-loved teen drama "Gossip Girl" propelled him to fame. Moreover, he is currently captivating audiences with his portrayal of the complex anti-hero Joe Goldberg in the gripping Netflix series "You."

Duff Badgley's Son Was Born Two Months Premature

Penn's parents lived quite a challenging life. Duff began his career as a reporter for a newspaper. Along with his wife, Lynne Murphy, he resided in Richmond, Virginia.

Duff has developed a deep passion for the environment.

Their bundle of joy, Penn, was born prematurely on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland. Because he arrived two months early, his mother tirelessly revived him "multiple times a day."

Interestingly, a tennis ball served as the inspiration for Penn's name. Duff is an avid tennis player. The actor's dad also used the tennis ball to relieve himself from feeling nervous or stressed.

In a "Jimmy Kimmel Live" interview in October 2021, Penn said his father would bounce tennis balls. Other than that, Duff would also squeeze it while his mother goes through pregnancy.

Penn also added that during his mother's first ultrasound, his mom casually mentioned that his size was comparable to that of a tennis ball when he was a baby. He expressed relief that he was not named after a brand like Dunlop or Wilson.

Duff Badgley Went from Being a Reporter to a Carpenter

After working as a newspaper reporter, Duff tried his hand at other income-generating means. He went on to become a successful businessman and was able to provide his wife and child with a comfortable, upper-middle-class lifestyle.

Unfortunately, his business collapsed. As a result of this turn of events, the family was compelled to leave Virginia and move to the more rural region of Washington State called "Tiger Mountain."

But after moving to Washington State, he and Lynne had problems in their marriage, which caused Lynne to leave Seattle and move to Hollywood. Duff eventually worked as a carpenter and in home construction.

Duff Badgley Is a Radical Environmental Activist

Duff has developed a deep passion for the environment. He founded One Earth, a local organization focused on combating climate change. Duff and other group members frequently display public banners expressing their disapproval of topics that harm the environment.

He turned his deep commitment to the environment into a political career and ran as the Green Party's candidate for governor of Washington in 2008. But he lost.

Following his defeat, Duff returned his focus to environmental work. He is associated with the group called No Biomass Burn, a Seattle-based environmental organization, according to Vulture in 2013.

Duff also mentioned in the article that he considers himself "politically radical" than his son Penn. Duff also adopts a frugal lifestyle; he was quoted in Vulture saying:

"I live like a monk. I don't have a car...I live really simply and on very little money."

Duff's lifestyle influenced his son. However, when Penn received an offer for the role in the hit series "Gossip Girl," Duff advised him to take it, recognizing the opportunities it would bring.

Penn eventually starred in the iconic series featuring actors Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Ed Westwick. Despite the poor reception, Duff has even watched some show episodes with a rabbit-ear antenna. He refused to go digital.

Duff, currently in his late 70s, has advised his famous son never to be taken aback by his actions, implying that he remains full of surprises.

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