Charles Melton on 'Beef': Trusting Lee Sung Jin's Vision Led to a Career-Defining Performance
By
Marcus Jones
6h ago· 11 min readen
100/100
Golden Brown
Bagelometer↗
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Score100TypeinterviewSentimentpositive
Summary
Charles Melton, star of Netflix's 'Beef,' is being honored with the Performance Award at IndieWire Honors Spring 2026. In an interview, Melton discusses his transformative experience working on the show, particularly the challenge of trusting creator Lee Sung Jin's vision. He describes the process as both 'fantastic' and 'frustrating,' as he had to surrender control and place complete faith in the director's unconventional approach. The article explores Melton's career trajectory, his approach to acting, and how 'Beef' pushed him to grow as a performer.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledWait, wait, wait, wait, wait — before his interview can begin, Charles Melton becomes distracted by a wayward eyelash.
It was a fantastic, frustrating experience putting my trust into Lee Sung Jin.
I had to learn to surrender to something greater than myself as an actor.
IndieWire Honors: Performance Award winner Charles Melton had a fantastic, 'frustrating' time putting his trust into 'Beef' creator Lee Sung Jin.
