Charles Melton (actor)


Charles Michael Melton is an American actor and model. He is known for his roles as Reggie Mantle on The CW television series Riverdale and Daniel Bae in the film The Sun Is Also a Star.

Early life

Melton was born in Juneau, Alaska, United States, to Sukyong and Phil Melton. His father is a white American, with English ancestry, and has also been described as having Cherokee roots. His mother is a Korean emigrant who moved to the U.S. with his father in 1990. Melton is their eldest child. His family moved frequently because his father worked for the military. At one time, he and his family lived in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, South Korea, for about 5 years. They eventually settled down in Manhattan, Kansas, where Melton graduated from Manhattan High School in 2009. Melton studied at nearby Kansas State University, where he played as a defensive back on the football team under coach Bill Snyder. He left school at 20 to pursue acting and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2012.
He also previously worked as a dog walker on the app Wag.

Career

He was first successful as a model, having booked gigs for Dolce & Gabbana, Kenneth Cole and MAC. His first acting roles included guest spots on Glee and American Horror Story.

2017–present: ''Riverdale'' breakthrough

Melton received mainstream attention in 2017 when he was cast as Reggie Mantle in the second season of the CW series Riverdale. He replaced Ross Butler, who left the cast due to his commitment to 13 Reasons Why. After recurring during the second season, Melton officially became a series regular on Riverdale starting with the third season.
In 2019, he starred in his first feature film as Daniel Bae in The Sun Is Also a Star, the film adaptation of the book of the same name by Nicola Yoon. Melton is the first Asian-American actor to lead a teen romance film from a major Hollywood studio.

Personal life

In June 2018, Melton was involved in a controversy over fat shaming tweets he had written in 2011 and 2012. He has since publicly apologized.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos