'Gossip Girl' Penn Badgley: 'Occupy Wall Street is incredible'

Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley has described the Occupy Wall Street protests as "hopeful and peaceful".

The actor explained that the Wall Street demonstrators were raising important political issues at the rallies he attended earlier this month.

Badgley told CNN: "I have seen it up close, I've been down there several days and I would like to continue going more. It's incredibly hopeful and peaceful.

"There are some problems that are simple - [such as] what do we do with this trash - and then there are some very difficult problems, like how do we go forward as a society in some truly democratic way that provides justice for all."



Badgley went on to suggest that the Occupy Wall Street protestors should be praised for trying to develop strategies to end economic and social injustice.

"[They are] approaching all problems similarly, which is one step at a time, and trying to do it. It's a massive thing that not one person can accomplish," the star explained. "I think it's really exciting to not even be a part of that, but just these times. There's a lot of anger, I think, but there's also a lot of hope in there."

Russell Simmons brought Kanye West to the demonstrations last week and later vowed to go to jail with the protestors if he must. Filmmaker Michael Moore hailed Occupy Wall Street as "just the beginning" of a major political movement.

Christopher Nolan reportedly plans to film scenes for The Dark Knight Rises at Occupy Wall Street's Zuccotti Park rallies later this month.

Watch Kanye West and Russell Simmons speak to reporters about Occupy Wall Street below: