The Star Wars Star Who Almost Played Dan Humphrey In Gossip Girl

"Gossip Girl" introduced the world to a bevy of young actors who would take Hollywood by storm. This includes Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, a popular "it girl" who frequently finds herself in the middle of media frenzies. Then there's Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf, who's best friends with Serena. The two actresses have gone on to star in a litany of high-profile projects, and it's all thanks to their breakthrough roles in "Gossip Girl." 

Of course, there's also Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey. Badgley's not doing too badly for himself these days as he's now the lead of the "You," which constantly receives buzz every time a new season drops. Outside of that, he has an extensive filmography to his name with numerous TV shows and movies, many of which he got after he broke out on "Gossip Girl." It's interesting to think of where his career would be if he didn't land the role, and according to casting director David Rapaport, he originally had someone else in mind for the part of Dan Humphrey.

David Rapaport spoke with Entertainment Weekly about how he's worked on numerous shows over the years, including "Arrow," "Riverdale," and "Gossip Girl," to name a few. When the topic of Dan Humphrey comes up, Rapaport admits that Badgley didn't always have the part in the bag. He stated, "Before Penn was involved, I desperately wanted Alden Ehrenreich to play Dan." The casting director was even able to get Ehrenreich into the room to read for the role, but producers ultimately passed on the young star for reportedly being too short. 

Everything worked out for the best for both actors in the end. Badgley played Dan Humphrey for six seasons, and Ehrenreich went on to star as a young Han Solo in "Solo: A Star Wars Story." But as it turns out, Rapaport wasn't done yet handing iconic roles to Badgley.

Rapaport later worked on casting "You," and as he went on to mention, "I didn't think [Badgley] would do it. But once we got the idea in our heads, it all made sense. I can't imagine anybody else playing that character." So when "You" Season 4 comes around, audiences have Rapaport to thank for giving viewers the singularly creepy performance offered by Badgley as Joe Goldberg.