He is known for his roles as Reggie Mantle in the CW series Riverdale (2017–2023) and a young man married to a much-older woman in the drama film May December (2023).

[7][8] Melton studied at nearby Kansas State University, where he played as a defensive back on the football team under coach Bill Snyder.

[4] Melton received mainstream attention in 2017 when he was cast as Reggie Mantle in the second season of the CW series Riverdale.

[11][12] Because of that movie, he is the first Korean-American and Asian-American actor to lead a teen romance film from a major Hollywood studio.

[13] In 2023, he co-starred in the Todd Haynes directed Netflix drama film May December where he acted alongside Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore.

[20] He will also star in Beef season 2 alongside Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, and Yuh-Jung Youn.