Time heals most, if not all, wounds. Just ask Penn Badgley! It’s been almost five years since Gossip Girl ended and we learned that the one and only Dan Humphrey is the eponymous writer that tracks every move of everyone’s favorite Upper East Siders — but that doesn’t mean that coming to terms with the news has been easy for the 30-year-old actor who brought Lonely Boy to life!

In an interview with TV Line, the handsome actor admitted that he didn’t exactly “get it” as much as his fellow stars, but he’s come to terms with the honor that comes with his role on the show. “I think I got that show the least out of anyone who was a part of it. I have to just admit that,” he explained. “But I’m happy to wear that crown, so to speak. Like, yeah, okay, I’m Gossip Girl. That’s cool. I think the most honest thing I can say about it is that it’s very hard for anyone to have that much perspective about themselves.”

Like most of us, it would appear that he, too, is a fan of the iconic teen drama. He gushed about the show, “Being on that show and being that character, I don’t even know what to say — in a good way. I think I used to know what to say about it, or I thought I knew what to say about it. Now, I just think it’s this incredible thing and I sort of wonder at it. In a way, I’m infinitely grateful, and while being grateful, I’m measured in the way that I regard it. It’s a big defining thing in my life, so it’s like, how do I feel about Dan? How do I feel about Gossip Girl? I love them all. Sometimes, you turn the most scrutinizing eye on the people and things you love the most.”

In other words, Dan Penn, you know you love yourself. Xoxo.

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