10 facts about Netflix's You that will surprise you
The hit Netflix series has taken over our lives in recent years
Netflix series You is one of the most popular (and creepy) series in living memory. From actor Penn Badgley's portrayal of Joe Goldberg, to the shocking twists and turns that keep us glued to the very edge of our seats, there's so many reasons why we've binged all four seasons in no time AT ALL!
Now that we've all worked our way through the entirety of series four, and look forward to Joe's return to New York City in season five, let's take a look at some behind the scenes trivia about the hit show. From the show's past, to its cast and set, some of these facts will most definitely surprise you!
Check out 10 interesting facts about Netflix's You:
Penn Badgley very nearly turned down playing Joe
He was "conflicted" that the show would be problematic as the character was such an "awful person".
He told Entertainment Weekly: "I didn't want to do it — it was too much. I was conflicted with the nature of the role. If this is a love story, what is it saying?
"And then what was key in me wanting to jump on board were my conversations with Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, the creators, and understanding Joe's humanity.
"I knew that I would be conflicted about the role from day one till the last day, and that is why they thought I would be good for it, is that I'm not psyched to play somebody of this nature."
Netflix wasn’t originally meant to be the place for You
Yep, creators Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble originally premiered the show on Lifetime in September 2018, however was dropped after the first season. Bet they're kicking themselves now - as the show was later picked up by Netflix, continuing as a Netflix Original title... And the rest is history!
A clue that the show wasn't always a Netflix original is the first episode's title - 'Pilot'.
You is based on books
The show is based on books by Caroline Kepnes - You, Hidden Bodies and the most recent You Love Me. Similar to the series, there's even a fourth book on the way!
Stephen King even praised the books, saying: "Totally original. Never read anything quite like it…Hypnotic and scary."
Penn wasn't the only one who nearly turned down a part in the show!
Tati Gabrielle, who plays libarian Marienne Bellamy in series three initially turned the role down as her agent told her it was a 'mystery show'.
She told Marie Claire: "In September or October of last year I was in Spain shooting another project. I had fully intended, once I finished that project, to take a month off. But my agent said, 'They want you for this Greg Berlanti project.' I asked, 'What is it?' They couldn't tell me, so I said no."
She added: "Then I knew what it was. I said yes because I was a super big fan of the show."
They use a 'blood machine' for the gory scenes
All the gory blood is made of sugar that gets squirted out of a 'blood machine' in the particularly graphic scenes. A lot of effort goes into the gory scenes in the show, with a whole lot of help from some prosthetics!
Penn didn’t have many lines to learn in the show, especially compared to the rest of the cast
That's because most of his dialogue was the voiceover! Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel, Penn admitted that "80% of my lines, if not more are actually voiceovers". The actor then revealed that most days he would go to the set and hardly have any lines, and that he was just "looking".
It's fair to say that Penn was well practiced, as his first ever acting roles were for a radio station and Nintendo 64 video games when he was 10 years old.
Safety first! Show stars took safety courses
Elizabeth Lail, who played Beck in the first series, and Penn had to to attend an eight-hour safety course before they were allowed to film on the NYC subway tracks.
Too likeable?
When filming every series, Penn was worried that he was making the character of Joe too likeable, especially as fans seemed to warm to him way too much considering he's a serial killer.
However, show creator Sara Gamble admitted that she thinks this is because audiences are wired to root for the love story.
She said: "If you just present a 'cute meet' in a bookstore, you're gonna want them to be together. If you see them together in the first scene, you're gonna want them to be together, even if you see what Joe is doing."
Two of the show's stars are reportedly dating in real life
Despite all the gore and creepy obsessions, love actually has come from You, as Victoria Pedretti is rumoured to be dating her co-star Dylan Arnold, who appears in season three as the flirty next door neighbour and college student Theo Engler.
Mooney's book store is a real shop
The facade of Mooney's bookstore, where Joe works in season one, is in fact a real life book shop! The signage above the door was kept fairly similar for the show, with the only real difference being the name.
The real shop is called Logos Bookstore, and sells Christian and religious books. Will we see Joe visit his old stomping ground in season five as he returns to NYC?
Read more:
Netflix's You star Shalita Grant discusses 'making history' on the hit show
Netflix's You: Get to know the cast from seasons one to five
You's Penn Badgley teases the return of a huge original character