The hit Netflix series You is about Joe Goldberg, who at first appears to be a mild-mannered romantic looking for love. However, it turns out that Joe has a secret — he has a habit of killing people who get in the way of his current love story, even if his next victim happens to be the object of his affection. Joe’s voiceovers during the episodes give viewers a glimpse into his thinking, even when his logic becomes violent and twisted. Penn Badgley, who plays Joe, explains that when he records the narration, he aims to add something important to the storyline. And he contributes more than you may think.
Joe’s iconic voiceovers in ‘You’
One thing that makes the character of Joe so compelling is hearing his thought process along the way. As Polygon explains, while the action takes place on the screen, Joe’s voice interjects every so often, explaining what he’s thinking and feeling. It gives viewers a glimpse into his motives, making him almost a sympathetic figure. This only heightens the horror when he does something terrible.
And Joe is prone to doing terrible things. When audiences first met him, he was a bookstore manager who seemed quiet, thoughtful, and romantic. Then he met Beck, a woman who came into his store to buy a book, and he became fixated on her.
As their relationship progressed, it became disturbingly clear how close a sweep-you-off-your-feet romance is to a dangerous, controlling obsession. One of the ways that connection is shown is by hearing Joe’s internal monologue, which swiftly progresses from “I just want to make you feel safe” to “this person is dangerous to you and has to die.” This has continued and evolved throughout the series.
Penn Badgley reveals his process when recording ‘You’ voiceovers
In a YouTube video interview Badgley did for Elle UK, he answered the question “How does the narration work on You?” Apparently, much like Joe, Badgley mostly prefers to work alone.
“So, the way we do the narration is I record it beforehand in a vocal booth with very little interactions with anyone else,” he explained. “It’s me, really, and Stephanie Johnson, our post-producer and supervisor. “
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He went on to say that Johnson offers an occasional comment, but he’s allowed a lot of creative freedom while he’s recording.
“What’s amazing about it is that they really just let me go. And I give a lot of different levels, always trying to inject comedy and tragedy in somewhat equal measure. And it’s very fun.”
Penn Badgley admits he even ad-libs some
As Badgley explained to Variety, he does more than just read the script when he’s recording the narration. He has the creative freedom to ad-lib some, and it adds to the character.
“I think actually where I improv the most, ironically, is in the voiceover booth,” he said. “I’ve developed a trust with the co-creators Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble. They really trust me to go in there.”
If Badgley contributes to Joe’s words in the voiceover, it’s another example of how well he understands the character. Viewers have watched — and listened — to Joe as he develops obsessions, spins out of control, makes terrible choices, and learns to live with who he is. For many fans, hearing him narrate this process is riveting.
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