Who plays Beck in Netflix’s You? Actress' career and notable projects, explored

Netflix’s You has grown to be one of the most popular psychological thriller shows of recent times. The series focuses on Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley, a charming man with a sinister personality.

Joe is an obsessive man who becomes infatuated with girls and starts to stalk them, manipulate them, and ultimately control them. The bookstore manager has set his eyes on multiple women across different seasons, and it all started with Guinevere Beck.

She is the love interest of Joe in the first season. Elizabeth Lail plays Beck in You, who appears regularly in the debut season and makes guest appearances in the later episodes. The actress has several other television and film credits to her name as well.

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Elizabeth Lail plays Beck in You

Elizabeth Lail rose to global fame with her role as Guinevere Beck in You in 2018. The actress has been working in the entertainment industry since 2014. Lail was brought up in Asheboro, North Carolina, where she decided to take up acting after participating in a local theater production at the age of 14.

She later took professional training in acting and earned a B.F.A. degree in Drama from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Laila made her television debut in 2014 by starring as Anna in the fourth season of ABC’s fantasy series Once Upon a Time.

Two years later, she bagged the lead role of Amy Hughes in Freeform’s supernatural horror series, Dead of Summer. She then made episodic appearances on shows like The Good Fight and The Blacklist before landing the role of Beck in You.

She was also seen in Max’s Gossip Girl reboot and CBS’ Elsbeth. Lail received praise for her performance in NBC’s Ordinary Joe as well, where she played the role of Jenny Banks. Meanwhile, the actress made a name for herself in the movie industry by appearing in films like Countdown, Mack & Rita, and Five Nights at Freddy's.

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Elizabeth Lail’s Journey in You

Elizabeth Lail was cast as Guinevere Beck in 2017. For her performance, she was nominated for the Best Actress Award at the 45th Saturn Awards. Guinevere Beck is a graduate student and aspiring writer who dreams of making it big. However, she ends up suffering due to Joe Goldberg’s obsession with her.

Beck is friendly and hardworking but also struggles with self-doubt and financial issues. Joe becomes obsessed with Beck from the moment he sees her. He stalks her online, follows her everywhere, and even sneaks into her apartment.

At one point, he saves her from falling onto the subway tracks, after which she sees him as a hero. However, Joe uses the moment to steal her phone and secretly watches everything she does. Beck eventually starts dating Joe, unaware that he is controlling her life behind the scenes.

Joe sees anyone who gets in his way as a problem and even kills Beck’s boyfriend Benji. Beck’s best friend, Peach Salinger, grows suspicious of Joe. She tries to warn her, but Joe sees Peach as another threat and kills her too.

Over time, Beck starts to sense something is wrong. She looks into Joe’s past and eventually finds proof of his crimes. Before she can escape, Joe locks her in a glass vault in his bookstore. She tries to trick him into letting her go, but he ultimately overpowers her.

In the end, Joe kills Beck and frames her therapist for his crimes. Beck’s tragic story leaves the viewers heartbroken. As a young girl, she only dreamt of love and success, but trusting the wrong person cost her everything.

The final and fifth season of You will premiere on Netflix on April 24, 2025.