Penn Badgley feared reaction of Jeff Buckley fans

Penn Badgley feared fans of Jeff Buckley would turn him into a hate figure for playing the tragic rocker in a new biopic.

The Gossip Girl star plays the iconic singer/songwriter in Greetings from Tim Buckley, but he admits he was worried about stepping into the late rocker's shoes in case it offended his devoted fans.

Badgley was even wary of dire retribution from Buckley from beyond the grave if he sullied the star's memory with a poor performance.

He tells NME magazine, "You think of Jeff spinning in his grave, you think of his mother, you think of his fans, you think of them all thinking, 'Who does this guy think he is?!'. Trust me, I was concerned about my ability. But I just wanted to do him justice and rise to the challenge."

Buckley drowned in a river in 1997 at the age of 30. The new movie tells of the days leading up to his performance at a tribute concert for his rocker father Tim in 1991.