Joe Goldberg

Joseph "Joe" Goldberg is a fictional character and protagonist of the You book series, written by Caroline Kepnes, as well as the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by American actor Penn Badgley, by Gianni Ciardiello, Aidan Wallace and Jack Fisher as a youth, and as his inner self by Ed Speleers. Joe is a serial killer, stalker and former bookstore manager who, upon meeting Guinevere Beck at his workplace in New York, develops an extreme, toxic and delusional obsession with her. After moving to Los Angeles to escape his sordid past, he meets avid chef Love Quinn and falls into his old habits of obsession and violence in order to avoid the fate of his past romantic endeavors. As his troubled marriage with Love falls apart, he abandons his life in the United States and moves to London where he begins tracking down the Eat-the-Rich killer, while managing an infatuation with Kate Lockwood. Television series Early life At the story's outset, it is revealed that Joe was born in September 19th, in 1988 and was orphaned at a young age. From flashbacks, it is revealed that Joe's biological mother, named Sandy Librelato (Magda Apanowicz) was abused by his biological father and that he was subjected to neglect and abuse by his father. Seeking to protect his mother, Joe (Aidan Wallace) shoots and kills his biological father. Sometime after, she tells him she is currently not fit to care for him and a Child Protection Services worker takes him and sends him to New York State's Irving Group Home For Boys. After a few years in the foster care system, it's implied that Mr. Mooney (Mark Blum) adopted Joe (Gianni Ciardiello), took care of him and gave him a job at the bookstore. Though, it is later highlighted that Mooney subjected Joe to a similar abusive treatment, locking him in a plexiglass cage vault, below his bookstore, against his will. As part of his "lesson", Mooney would teach the value of reading and books to Joe, in order to show his affection and reverence towards such activities.