Charles Melton on Heroes, Ambition, and “Understanding Repression” for ‘May December’ (2024)

On this awards season’s circuit, few teams seemed as tightly knit as that of May December, with its Oscar-winning stars, Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, laughing together from event to event, in lockstep with their director—and Moore’s frequent collaborator—Todd Haynes. This group had made these rounds before—collecting trophies and rave reviews. However, among them was a face very new to the world of tastemaker screenings, private awards luncheons, and industry nominations: Charles Melton.

In my months of getting to know him, though, the breakout star has proved himself to be a quick study. Best known for his six-season run on the teen soap Riverdale, Melton carries himself with the suave, smiley charm of an Old Hollywood heartthrob—humbly, if confidently, holding his own opposite actors he calls “masters of their craft.” Melton matched them beat for beat in May December, in which he plays Joe Yoo, who at 13 began a sexual relationship with Gracie (Moore), the mother of his schoolmate; 20-plus years later, he and Gracie, now a convicted sex offender, lead deeply repressed lives as spouses and parents. Moore and Portman, who plays an actor set to portray Gracie in a movie, are terrific, but Melton provides the movie’s revelatory heart.

For the role, Melton won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for best supporting actor, in addition to other prizes and nominations. He navigated the kinds of spaces he could previously only dream about, loudly supported by his costars every step of the way.

We’re thrilled to have Melton as part of our 2024 Hollywood issue. I spoke with him at his home in the Los Angeles hills at the end of that campaign journey, just as he was beginning to process the whirlwind of May December—and what might come next.

Vanity Fair: You spent a few months intensively promoting this film, during which time the arc of your career clearly changed. How are you reflecting on that time as it winds down?

Charles Melton: I’ve met so many incredible people along the way, so many of my heroes whose works I’m inspired by, who’ve really informed the choices I want to make as an artist. And to meet them, to hear what they have to say, to know that they’ve watched May December—that’s the part that I haven’t quite been able to process yet until yesterday and today. I’m just starting to take it in. It’s been hard to take in.

Can you say a bit more about choices you want to make going forward, and who’s inspiring you along those lines?

I’ve been thinking about the caliber of work that I want to do, the kind of stories that I want to tell. For me, being able to explore the psychology of a human character, the humanity as opposed to what the character may look like or be stereotyped as—that’s the kind of work that I want to do. I’ve been meeting so many cool filmmakers and writers. It’s very surreal for me. I’ve received advice from some of these heroes to not be afraid to say no. There’s so much gratitude when anybody offers you anything, because for so long I’ve been doing whatever I can to book jobs, to get to this point. If I can find something or if something comes that I feel this innate connection to, I’m going to do whatever I can to book it. My mentality is if I really want it, I’ll self-tape for it. I’m willing to do whatever I can to be a part of something that I believe in—to not become so jaded by it all.

Are there directors whom you’re hoping or angling to work with, now that you’re starting to meet all these people?

I’d love to work with Todd [Haynes] again. Josh Safdie, Pablo Larraín, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson. And there’s Celine Song. There’s a lot. I can keep on going.

You’ve talked about hoping to model success for aspiring Asian American actors. Have you ever felt limited by the industry because of your background?

I don’t think so. Maybe there’s a little naivete that I have with it. I’ve always been a big dreamer, and I’ve tried not to set any limits in my mind because I’ll get caught up in the limits outside of me. I’m always seeking. My ambition is always driving me. Just paving my own path as Charles, the kind of work that I want to do. What I’m focusing on is to be a part of any story where the character description isn’t just “Korean American” or “Asian American.” You know what I mean? That’s what I loved about May December. I was immediately attracted to the fact of who Joe was and the layers to his humanity. He happened to be Korean American, which was great.

What do you think about a process like Method acting, along those lines? Is it something you could see yourself doing?

I’m going to be very delicate with what I’m saying. I don’t even know what Method acting is. Anyone who is an artist, who is an actor, has their own personal method. Correct? I believe I have a lot of technical practices that allow me to separate Charles from the character, and to be able to be kind and generous, and to keep those two things separate and not to inflict on anyone else’s process or not to take up space. In between takes with Julianne and Natalie, we had so much fun. You can still have fun, but if you need to step away and listen to Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” 30 times in a row, then you go do that.

With Joe, for me, it’s just understanding repression. There are so many films that I watched that inspired me, but I really dove in with my therapist and my coach, just understanding human emotions and the root of the human emotion and what that can look like and feel like. It’s a lot of headwork.

You’ve said, in good humor, that gaining weight in preparation for May December was an excuse for you to eat. Is that something you’ve had to think about as a young actor in this business—appearance, weight management—especially having been on a teen show?

The way you look and the way you dress, all the external things we see, should be informed by the material that you’re reading. To be able to transform is something that I want to do as an actor, to constantly revolutionize my own self in a way. I think about Christian Bale. He’s incredible. When I was younger, I would read something about an actor that I was inspired by, and I was like, Okay, let me try this. Let me try that. But it’s so much more than just what we read.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. For fashion and beauty details, go to VF.com/credits.