"Fidelity in every relationship … especially in a marriage … is important to me," Badgley revealed on the "Podcrushed" podcast Thursday.
"I asked Sera Gamble, creator of the show, ‘Can I just do no more intimacy scenes?’" he said. "This was actually a decision I had made before I took the show."
The "You" star has announced that he no longer wants to do sex scenes in his hit Netflix show. (Getty Images)
The 36-year-old actor portrays Joe Goldberg in "You," a character who Netflix describes as "a dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man [who] goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by."
The show, which is now entering into its fourth season, is notorious for its steamy scenes, typically featuring Badgley.
Penn Badgley married British-American singer Domino Kirke in 2017. (Getty Images)
"I don't think I've ever mentioned it publicly," he said on the podcast, "but one of the main things is, ‘Do I want to put myself back on a career path where I'm always the romantic lead?’"
Badgley, who famously played the role of Dan Humphrey in the 2007 hit teen drama series "Gossip Girl," said "It’s got to the point where I don't want to do that … so I said to Sera, like, ‘My desire would be zero [sex scenes], to go from 100 to zero.’"
Although he did not take on the role unknowingly, he understands he signed a contract and hoped for the best.
"You can't take this aspect out of the DNA of the concept, so 'How much less can you make it?' was my question to them," he explained.
Penn Badgley, despite playing a killer in "You," is a devoted husband and father in real life. (Photo by Jenny Anderson/Getty Images)
Badgley gave listeners more behind-the-scenes detail of his conversation with the show creator and appeared surprised by her reaction to his request.
"She didn't even bat an eye. She was really glad that I was that honest, and she was sort of almost empowered. She had a really positive response, she appreciated my directness … and that I was being reasonable and practical … they came back with a phenomenal reduction."
Badgley has been married to Kirke, who works as a singer and a doula, since 2017. The couple share one child, two-year-old James, and Kirke also has a 14-year-old son from a previous relationship.
The fourth season of "You" is divided into two parts. Part one is available to stream on Netflix today, while part two is slated to be released on March 10.