Ever wonder how Penn Badgley [1] portrays a sociopathic murderer so well on Netflix's You [2]? Well, the 33-year-old star answered that question during the Jan. 9 episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert [3]. While discussing Badgley's role as Joe Goldberg [4], host Stephen Colbert [5] couldn't help but ask how he goes from charming to creepy so seamlessly (an observation Badgley's costar Jenny Ortega previously spoke about with POPSUGAR [6]).

"It is shockingly simple," Badgley admitted. "It does not mean it's easy — although, sometimes it is." He then revealed how he embodies Joe, and, surprisingly, it does sound pretty straightforward. Find out his secret in the clip above, then read some of the most relatable reactions to You's second season [7]!