![]() ![]() He met Melton’s mother while he was stationed in South Korea. Melton’s father was from Oklahoma, and has always described himself as “all-American, trailer-trash white,” according to his son. “That was cool to me at the time, but now, looking back, I realize that was his only reference to seeing someone of Asian descent in film.” “I remember my dad saying, ‘Charles, if you keep it up with taekwondo and everything, you can be the next Jet Li, Bruce Lee, or Jackie Chan,’” Melton said. One day, in the third grade, after seeing “The Matrix,” he turned to his father and said, “Dad, I want to be in the movies.” Every Sunday after church, his dad would take him to the theater to see a film. One of the few constants in his life, he said, was going to the movies. He was born in Alaska, spent five years in Korea, four years in Germany, a couple in Texas and then finished out high school in Kansas. Growing up, Melton was a military brat, traveling the world because of his father’s Army career in infantry and aviation. My dad was like, ‘How are you going to pay us back?’ And my mom convinced him.” “So I ended up crying to my parents to let me do this - literally crying, full, real-deal crying. I made it,’” and then I saw in the fine print that it was $3,000,” Melton said. He landed a callback, but there was a catch: He’d have to pay $3,000 to attend the showcase in Orlando, Fla. He called the number and booked an audition for something called the Arts Showcase, eventually driving 45 minutes to a Marriott in Salina, Kan., to read copy for a Twizzlers commercial. In his car on the way to practice one day, he got sucked in by one of those “Do you want to be a star?” talent pitches. In college at Kansas State University - where he was recruited to the football team, starting as a safety on special teams in his second year - he literally changed his entire career path because of an ad he heard on the radio. That’s not to be undervalued, someone wanting to throw themselves into the part and be passionate - especially for this character.” “Before we’d even met, I found an interview of him online saying that ‘The Sun Is Also a Star’ was his favorite book,” the director said. By the time the screenplay was finished months later, he’d already voiced his interest to the filmmaking team and asked to put himself on tape for director Ry Russo-Young. Intrigued after learning of the groundswell, the actor went out that day and bought Yoon’s book. Within hours, Melton had been tagged for the role hundreds of times. When Yoon announced that her teenage romance story was being turned into a movie, she solicited her fans’ suggestions on who should play Daniel, the son of Korean immigrants whose parents’ only wish is for him to become an Ivy League-educated doctor.
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