An actor has revealed he had to make a lengthy sacrifice while filming a risqué scene with Natalie Portman.
Charles Melton from Alaska first appeared on our TV screens in guest roles, from the adored series Glee to a role in the the fifth series of the horror anthology, American Horror Story in 2015.
The 34-year-old finally made his big breakthrough while portraying Reggie Mantle in the CW series, Riverdale, between 2017 to 2023, after which he snowballed to success for appearing in a Netflix drama film. May December, which landed on the platform in December 2023, starring Portman and Julianne Moore, earned Melton some prestigious nominations including a Golden Globe Award.
However, it apparently wasn't without sacrifice as the star recently revealed he had to forgo basic human necessities to film an X-rated clip.
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In the story, we see Portman’s character, an actress called Elizabeth Berry, learning about Gracie Atherton-Yoo (played by Moore), a sex offender she's set to play in a film.
The dark story is centered around the real-life tale of Mary Kay Letourneau, a teacher who had a sexual relationship with her sixth-grade student, Vili Fualaau. After Mary plead guilty to two counts of felony second-degree rape of Fualaau in 1997 and served more than seven years in prison for the crime, the pair met up and wed.
In May December, the character Gracie has been in a relationship with Joe Yoo (Melton), since he was 13 years old and she was 36. One particular scene sees Joe cheating on Gracie by engaging in sexual intercourse with Elizabeth - which Melton claims was an ‘annoying process’ behind the scenes.
Speaking to Variety, he said the intimate scene ‘very professional’ but had its pitfalls to do with a prosthetic.
“The whole thing. Natalie, Todd, and I met to discuss the scene, walking through it and ensuring everybody was comfortable," he said.
“There were a few conversations about the prosthetic, regarding what was realistic and what wasn’t. And I had to wear that prosthetic for nine hours that day.
“I didn’t have anything to drink that morning or the night before. That was an annoying process but still very respectful.”
Melton also explained that ‘so much pathos’ went into his character’s portrayal, remarking: “There’s this kind of repressed feeling. How they talk, it’s all right in the throat. For [playing] Joe, these words are forming for the first time.
“It’s like seeing somebody at a party hunched over, protected, and not trying to take up too much space. Joe doesn’t even know he’s doing it.
“It’s part of his adult child that has translated into the physicality of his movement which he’s not even aware. It’s just him existing.”
Despite the awkwardness, Melton had nothing but praise for director, Todd Haynes.
"Todd held my hand every step of the way,” he revealed. "He would tell me, ‘You got this, trust your instincts.’
"When you have that support from a director like Todd Haynes, in my opinion, the greatest living director, there’s no boundaries or limits.”
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix
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