Penn Badgley wants You to know that he's loving every minute of fatherhood.
Last fall, the 34-year-old actor and his wife, Domino Kirke, had announced that they welcomed their first child together, a baby boy. Domino is also a mom to son Cassius Riley, 12, with ex Morgan O'Kane.
Although the couple is notorious for keeping their personal lives out of the spotlight, the You star shared a rare glimpse into his new role as a dad during an interview on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
When asked how Penn and his wife of four years have navigated parenthood amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, he admitted, "I mean, it was, it was a lot."
"I think the great bounty that we got out of it is...I have a stepson who's 12 and his experience was, in a sense, different. 'Cause they're so social at that age," the Gossip Girl alum explained. "But our baby, he's chilling. He's only been with us. He loves it."
He added, "He's very happy. He's very, very joyful. And we had an opportunity to be with him in a way that we wouldn't have. So that is a strange blessing in it all."
The actor, who has yet to publicly share additional details about his little one, like his name, recently utilized his experience as a new dad for the small screen.
However, don't expect his real life to imitate art.
On Friday, Oct. 15, Netflix's third season of the crime series You will officially hit the streaming service, picking up with show Joe (Penn) and his wife, Love (Victoria Pedretti), settling into the suburbs with their newborn baby.
Despite the fatherhood parallel between Penn and his character, the actor made it clear that he and Joe are vastly different—and not just because Joe is a serial killer.
"As much as it relates to my character, I am having a joyful experience as a father," Penn told host Jess Cagle. "I can, of course, relate to the fears. But Joe's fears are so intensely outsized, you know? For me, I'm just like, 'Sure, Joe. Yeah. I guess you could spend all your time worrying about that.' But you know, to me, even being a father in a pandemic has still been a joy somehow."
The Hollywood star's positive outlook isn't a facade either.
You guest star Shalita Grant recently sang Penn's praises, telling E! News, "He's actually the perfect actor to play a serial killer because he's the nicest guy, in all honesty. If he were a different guy, I'm not sure the show would work."
Soon, fans of the hit television series will be reunited with Joe. Best of all? Netflix has already ordered a fourth season.
Watch Penn's interview here.