An actor has opened up about the "nine-hour" sacrifice he had to make while filming a sex scene with Natalie Portman.
Charles Melton starred as Joe Yoo in the Academy Award-nominated movie, May December, which was released on Netflix back in 2023.
The movie follows Elizabeth (Portman), an actress researching for the role of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (played by Julianne Moore).
Gracie is based on Mary Kay Letourneau, who like the character is infamous for having a relationship with her 13-year-old student. In the movie, Moore's character married her student Joe (Melton) and shared three children with him.
May December was heavily praised at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, as it received an eight-minute standing ovation. It also amassed an impressive 91% rating on Rotton Tomatoes.
Watch the trailer below:The movie features a pivotal moment where Joe betrays Gracie by having sex with Elizabeth, a scene Melton found particularly challenging to film due to the sacrifices he had to make on-set.
In an interview with Variety, the Riverdale star called the intimate scene "very professional" before explaining: “The whole thing. Natalie, [director Todd Haynes], and I met to discuss the scene, walking through it and ensuring everybody was comfortable."
“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," he continued. “I didn’t have anything to drink that morning or the night before. That was an annoying process but still very respectful.”
The 34-year-old also shared that "so much pathos" went into his character, adding: “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," he shared. “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.”
Melton, who cited Tony Leung in 'In the Mood for Love" and Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain" as key inspirations for his performance, also expressed his admiration for director Todd Haynes.
“Todd held my hand every step of the way,” he said. “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.”
You can stream May December now on Netflix.
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