854. - Penn Badgley

Summary of 854. - Penn Badgley

by Chris Black & Jason Stewart / Talkhouse

1h 13m•October 8, 2025
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Summary — How Long Gone Ep. 854: Penn Badgley (Hosts: Chris Black & Jason Stewart)

Overview

This episode features actor/writer/podcaster Penn Badgley in a wide-ranging conversation about parenting (including newly arrived twins), spirituality (his Baha’i practice and meditation), his entertainment career (from early child work to Gossip Girl and You), the process of writing and narrating a book, music influences, and how fame intersects with personal growth. The tone is candid and conversational, punctuated by humor, sponsor reads, and on-the-spot reflections while Badgley holds an infant on his chest.

Key Points & Main Takeaways

  • Parenting and Twins

    • Raising twins has been intense and life-altering — it often requires a “third adult” (night nurse/support) to sustain parents.
    • Sleep is fragmented; adrenaline sometimes helps but isn’t sustainable. Everyday parenting forces growth and adaptation.
    • Stepfathering a 16-year-old introduces different challenges and dynamics (agency, coolness, money requests).

  • Spirituality & Meditation

    • Badgley became a Baha’i about 10 years ago; his spiritual practice centers on prayer and meditating on Baha’i writings (e.g., The Hidden Words).
    • Spiritual search began in mid-20s amid disillusionment with fame; he sought a framework that links personal transformation to societal change.
    • He emphasizes accessible, community-based spirituality rather than commodified or exoticized spiritual experiences.

  • Career, Fame & Creative Life

    • Started working very young; by late teens he felt worn out by the industry despite success.
    • Observes that the entertainment industry rewards very few, often on superficial criteria — “failure is the rule and success is the exception.”
    • Transitioned into podcasting and writing to explore creative avenues he hadn’t had time for earlier.
    • Writing the book (Crush More: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming of Age) required re-examining and processing his past; narrating the audiobook became a performative extension of the essays.

  • Community & Travel

    • Being a Baha’i provides an instant way to connect with communities when traveling; he recounts connecting spontaneously with local Baha’is in Manila.
    • Spiritual community provides practical emotional scaffolding, especially when revisiting places tied to difficult memories.

  • Music & Influences

    • Finds spiritual transcendence in music (soul, gospel, R&B) — D’Angelo, Maxwell cited as major influences.
    • Music was an early spiritual outlet before formal religious practice.

Notable Quotes / Insights

  • “Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.” — Penn quoting The Hidden Words (Baha’i text) as an example of his meditation material.
  • “Failure is the rule and success is the exception.” — On the realities of an entertainment career.
  • “I don't have to go to the mountaintop — I can bring the mountaintop to my life.” — About integrating spiritual practice into everyday life.
  • “I was hot, I was rich, I was young, I was famous and I'm still empty on the inside.” — On the emptiness he experienced despite early career success.
  • Reference to science/philosophy: “Consciousness is first and matter is second” — mentions Donald Hoffman’s The Case Against Reality in the context of spiritual thinking.

Topics Discussed

  • New parent realities (twins, sleep, night nurses)
  • Meditation practice and Baha’i faith
  • Spiritual searching vs. commodified spirituality
  • Child to teen family dynamics and celebrity’s effect on children
  • Entertainment industry dynamics: early start, fame, burnout, luck vs. preparation
  • Writing process and turning a podcast into a book/audiobook
  • Music as spiritual expression (soul, gospel, R&B)
  • Fashion and culture riffs (brief aside on “swamp” fashion and Valentino)
  • Media commentary (CBS hiring, Rush Limbaugh reference)
  • Community-building while traveling (examples from Manila)

Action Items / Recommendations

  • For listeners interested in Badgley’s longform reflections:
    • Read/listen to his book Crush More: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming of Age (release discussed as Oct 14 in the episode) — audiobook features all three pod co-hosts.
    • Check out his podcast (the one referenced where essays/pieces originated) for more context and extended conversations.
  • For new parents (especially twins):
    • Consider arranging third-adult support or night nurses — twins make single two-parent strategies especially difficult.
    • Expect sleep fragmentation; plan for practical help and pacing.
  • For anyone exploring spiritual frameworks:
    • Try short, text-based meditation (e.g., a paragraph from a spiritual text) and sit with words phrase-by-phrase, as Badgley describes.
    • Seek community spaces locally to test and experience spiritual practices rather than exoticizing them.
  • For creatives:
    • If you’ve been in a high-output role since youth, consider side projects (podcasts, writing) to explore parts of your voice you haven’t had room for.
    • Narrating your own work can add a performative layer that deepens the message; be prepared to "find" the voice for the material.

Practical Resources Mentioned

  • Penn’s book/audiobook: Crush More (essays derived from podcast)
  • Music references worth checking: D’Angelo, Maxwell (for those seeking spiritual, soulful music)
  • Recommended reading referenced: The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman (on consciousness)

This episode blends intimate personal storytelling (parenting and spiritual growth) with industry-savvy observations about fame and creative work. It’s particularly useful for listeners curious about how a public figure reconciles inward practices with outward careers, and for new parents navigating the logistics and emotional turbulence of early infancy — especially multiples.