Charles Melton’s Ethnicity Is the ‘Bridge’ Between the ‘East & West’ in Beef After the Actor Used to ‘Suppress’ His Background
Charles Melton first gained recognition on Riverdale, but his performance in May December pushed hm into a different league. As he continues to pop up in more TV shows and movies, fans have started paying closer attention to more than just his work — there’s also growing interest in his background, including his ethnicity.
What is Charles Melton’s ethnicity?
Melton has described himself as Korean-American. He previously told Mixed Asian Media that his father is white American with English ancestry, while his mother is Korean and immigrated to the United States in 1990.
In a 2021 column for Variety, the actor said he grew up “suppressing” his Asian identity and often felt “conflicted by my racial identifies and the trauma that comes with that.”
“Trying to fit in at school, I chased the American dream by being a star athlete, all the while suppressing my Asian identity,” he said. “I remember even beating everyone to the punch by making Asian jokes before anyone else would.”
Melton wrote that his mother “held our collective pain — the feelings of displacement and shame — and carried the burden on her shoulders, blaming herself.” But he said he “will no longer remain silent” about his experience and connection with the Asian-American community.
Related: Charles Melton Reveals If His Penis in May December Was Real or Fake
Since then, the Golden Globe nominee has spoken more openly about his Korean identity and even taken on roles that reflect parts of his background.
In April 2026, Korean-American director and writer Lee Sung-jin spoke with The Korea Times about casting Melton in Beef Season 2, saying, “It’s a bridge between West and East. Charles [Melton’s] character is half Korean, caught in an identity tug of war as he’s pulled into the upper echelons of South Korean society – the world of chaebol [conglomerate] families.”
Melton, who plays Austin Davis — a former college athlete turned country club employee — said it was “amazing” that Lee drew from his own “half-Korean, half-white” experience when writing the role. He also said that filming in Korea “felt like coming home,” as he had spent part of his childhood there.
