Yahoo News Charles Melton Says ‘Riverdale’ Was His Version of Juilliard, Helped Him “Refine This Work Ethic”
Riverdale was a learning experience for Charles Melton.
Melton — who has already received a best supporting actor award at the Gotham Awards for his performance in May December and a Golden Globe nomination — opened up about how the CW series based on Archie Comics played a critical part in his growth as an actor.
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“It really helped me refine this work ethic,” he told i-D of his time on the show, during which he portrayed jock Reggie Mantle. “Riverdale truly was my Juilliard — I was learning and growing and playing and taking risks. I was allowed to do that.”
The show ended its nine-season run in August, which the actor admitted was a “bittersweet” feeling, adding, “But I’m so happy it brought joy to so many people.”
In Todd Haynes’ May December, Melton plays Joe Atherton Yoo, a butterfly enthusiast and radiographer who began dating his 36-year-old colleague when he was 13. Twenty-three years and a jail term later, he and Gracie (Julianne Moore) are still together when an actress (Natalie Portman) arrives to get to know the couple before portraying Gracie in a film, bringing up all sorts of buried feelings for Joe.
The Sun Is Also a Star actor revealed that when he first read Samy Burch’s script for the Netflix film, he quickly felt a connection to it. “I think it would be an actor’s dream for every script they get sent to feel this immediate connection to the character and the story,” he told the publication. “I don’t think it’s like that most of the time.”
As for what’s next for the Poker Face guest star? He’s not sure yet, but he did write a short film that serves as a love story to his sister and is hoping to work on that during some downtime. One thing he knows for sure, however, is that he wants “to do this until I give everything I got.”
May December is available to stream on Netflix.
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