‘May December’s Breakout Star Charles Melton On Walking The Red Carpet In Cannes, ‘Riverdale,’ And The Secret Of Making Good Kimchi
13.01.2024 - 21:25
/ deadline.com
Charles Melton has had a good year; although saying farewell to Riverdale hit him hard, he went head-to-head with Natasha Lyonne for an episode of Poker Face and earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in Todd Haynes’ May December. Sandwiched between Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, the U.S.-born actor with Korean roots handled himself impeccably, playing the husband of Gracie (Moore), an older woman once sent to prison for molesting him as a minor. Melton brings a diffident grace to the part, which is crucial to the film’s unfolding when actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) turns up.
DEADLINE: Were you up in time for the Golden Globes announcement?
No, I got a phone call from my team. My sister, who’s my assistant, was on the phone call and she was laughing because I was just like, [woozily], “Hello…? Yeah…? Yeah!?”
DEADLINE: When did this journey start for you?
Last summer [2022] my team sent me the script, and it was a self-tape process that lasted for about six weeks. And I really felt this innate connection with Joe, who this man was, and what he represented. The first time I taped, it was for six hours, then I got another one, and it was another six hours. The next thing I know, I’m flying to New York to meet Todd and Julie to do a chemistry read. That six-month process really informed the way I wanted to work. After I got the call from Todd, I went to Savannah, Georgia, a couple of weeks before filming, and we filmed this independent feature in 23 days.
DEADLINE: Obviously, it’s inspired by a real story. Did you know about that?
I didn’t, but there was so much source material from Samy [Burch] and her script. It really was a fun, explorative process. I was constantly discovering new things about Joe, even