Los Angeles (AP) — Charles Melton didn’t become famous overnight.
After moving to Los Angeles more than ten years ago, the 32-year-old “May December” star has been diligently working on his resume. He is currently receiving praise, awards, and nominations for his scene-stealing performance alongside renowned Hollywood veterans Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore.
Melton recalled his early days of trying to get into the acting industry, saying, “I was walking dogs and working Chinese takeout seven years ago.”
But he’s already been recognized with multiple trophies going into awards season, including best supporting actor at the Gotham trophies, thanks to his work in “May December,” which has earned him a berth as one of The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of 2023.
Even if his career didn’t take off right away, he feels that his maturation helped him develop the skills needed to give his characters credibility, especially in the controversially campy Todd Haynes melodrama.
“I seem to recall hearing Bryan Cranston say this a long time ago. And the lesson I learned was that, aside from your work, you had to be a crafter of your own life in order to create a character, says Melton. “I don’t know, I think it’s good, but the chipping away,”
Melton’s “May December” character, Joe Yoo, was influenced by his life experience, sophisticated understanding of human nature, and his venture into campy dramas with his portrayal as (the second) Reggie in the cult adolescent series “Riverdale.”
In the movie, Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore), who became tabloid fodder for having sex with a seventh-grade Joe years previously, consents to let Natalie Portman, an actor, spend time with them in order to conduct research for a future movie about the scandal that spanned decades.
Gracie and Joe appear to be happy together now, enjoying a beautiful lifestyle in lovely coastal Georgia with their own children.
Melton says, “I looked at a lot of stuff related to repression and how certain emotions are carried in our bodies and how that manifests in the way people move and speak.”
Melton has grown to appreciate auteurs such as Ingmar Bergman and Paul Thomas Anderson in addition to being a Haynes lover even before the actor participated in one of his productions; some of his favorites are “Safe” and “I’m Not There.”
However, he started his love of movies with more approachable tales. He talked about how, when they were living in South Korea, he and his father would frequently go to the cinema to watch action films and large blockbusters.
“As an Army brat growing up, I noticed that there weren’t many arthouse movies available in international theaters near military bases. Melton remembers, “So that was kind of the world that I lived in.”
At some point, his family went back to the States and made Kansas their home, where Melton grew up. He attended Kansas State University to play football, but he finally dropped out to move to Los Angeles because of his increasing passion for movies, which made him fall in love with the concept of narrating stories in front of the camera.
Every small step along the way has been a dream come true, from his first callback and his “43-second” guest star appearance on “Glee” to landing a lead role in Ry Russo-Young’s romantic drama, “The Sun is Also a Star,” alongside Yara Shahidi. The film is one he is proud of and a director he says he’d like to work with again. Though his role in “May December” and the recognition that followed it felt like a major “I made it” moment.
Melton has tried to be present in the midst of the success, even as he enjoys the praise he has received from critics and looks forward to the projects that follow. Examples of these moments include going camping and making kimchi with his mother.
