Accompanied by a stylish spread shot by fashion shock photographer Terry Richardson—which focuses on 22-year-old Penn's crotch as much as it does his dashing good looks—the young actor lets fly some zingers about his offscreen relationship with co-star Blake Lively, 21.

"95 percent of what you read is bullsh*t," Badgley vows about his romance with Lively.

He's equally dismissive about landing his part on the hit CW series.

"All I knew was that I'd already done three WB shows—and that it was called Gossip Girl."

At this point, if you're thinking Penn has tired of playing an Upper East Side high school student after only two seasons, you might be on to something.

"I can do this role with my eyes closed and my arms behind my back," he quips. "What I'm looking for now is something challenging. I always joke with the show's creators, 'Anytime you want me to do drugs or contemplate suicide, I'll do it.'"

Well, does committing career suicide count?