Penn Badgley says he got COVID-19 filming the "intense" fire scene in You season 4

10 February 2023, 17:14

Penn Badgley interviews Joe from You

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By Sam Prance

"It is so loud and hot. It is alarmingly loud and hot. A lot of sweat and dirt. It's just so physical."

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Penn Badgley has opened up about You season 4 and let slip that he got COVID-19 while filming the fire scene in episode 5.

You season 4 is finally here and Joe Goldberg is officially back on his bullshit. There's a new location, a new love interest and Joe is trying to leave his murderous past behind him. Can he actually do it though? Well, with another killer on the loose and a mysterious stalker, Joe has his work cut out for him. Season 4 part 1 already features many shocking, gruesome deaths.

However, it's the fire scene in episode 5 that's capturing everyone's attention, and Penn has now revealed that it was really "hard" to film and left him with scratches all over his body. Not only that but he also caught coronavirus during the shoot.

WARNING: YOU SEASON 4 PART 1 SPOILERS BELOW

Penn Badgley says he got COVID-19 filming the "intense" fire scene in You season 4. Picture: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images, Netflix

At the end of part 1, Rhys locks Joe and an unconscious Roald in a secret basement at Lady Phoebe's country estate. Here, Rhys explains that he is the Eat the Rich killer and he asks Joe to work with him and kill Roald so that they can frame Roald with all of Rhys' murders. However, Joe refuses and Rhys sets the basement on fire and leaves Joe and Roald to die.

Through physical strength and determination, Joe manages to escape and save Roald in the process. However, the scene is arguably Joe's biggest action scene yet. He literally battles for his life and Penn has now explained that it was as difficult to film as it looks, if not even more so.

Discussing the scene on his Podcrushed podcast, Penn said: "There was actually fire. I got Covid in that scene. It was pretty intense. I had a lot of scratches all over my body afterwards because there were a lot of pebbles all over the floor and I was lying, spinning around, doing all of this stuff with the chain."

Penn continued: "It was a hard scene to shoot. There are these trumpets that spew fire. It is so loud and hot. It is alarmingly loud and hot. A lot of sweat and dirt. It's just so physical. That scene was particularly exhausting and then the next day, I had Covid symptoms."

The fire scene in You season 4, episode 5. Picture: Netflix

Opening up about playing Joe in general, Penn then added: "I get a lot of bruises. I do a lot of physical acting in it. I do have a stunt double of course but it's remarkable how little they're used for the big stuff. I do really like that."

Penn also said: "It's a role I outwardly struggle with about the kind of emotional moral dynamic, and to play him so long is quite exhausting physically and mentally but I do love the physical task."