Charles Melton is an Emmy Award-nominated actor who currently stars in the second season of Netflix's Beef, opposite Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, and Oscar Isaac, earning a 2026 Emmy nomination for the role. He previously won a Gotham Award and received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Todd Haynes' May December, opposite Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, and his other film credits include Warfare, Bad Boys for Life, and The Sun Is Also a Star. Melton first rose to prominence playing Reggie Mantle on The CW's Riverdale, and will next appear in an upcoming Universal feature opposite Matt Damon.
Before acting, Melton played Division I football at Kansas State University. He was named a Special Olympics Global Ambassador in 2021, crediting his experiences with Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools for inspiring him to advocate for the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in education and sports. That involvement began in 2018, when he visited Warren High School in Downey, California and met students in the school's Unified Champion Schools program, and continued in 2019, when he hosted an advance screening of The Sun Is Also a Star for UCS students in New York. As an ambassador, Melton continues to support the Unified Generation through inclusive youth leadership programs and Special Olympics Unified Sports, most recently coaching Thousand Oaks High School's Unified Sports basketball team in March 2026 as part of a nationally recognized Special Olympics and ESPN celebration of inclusion.
Global Ambassadors
-
Alia Atkinson
Olympic Swimmer, Commander of the Order of Distinction -
Andre Drummond
NBA All-Star & Rebound Champion, Philadelphia 76ers -
Avril Lavigne
Musician & Philanthropist -
Robert "Bob" Beamon
Olympic Champion, Long Jump -
Charles Melton
Actor -
Chris Nikic
Special Olympics Triathlete/Motivational Speaker -
Dale Moss
Former National Football League Player -
Dalton Risner
NFL Player, Minnesota Vikings, Offensive Guard -
Damian Lillard
NBA All Star, Portland Trailblazers -
Devin Booker
NBA All-Star, Phoenix Suns -
Didier Drogba
Legendary Professional Football (Soccer) Player -
Drew McIntyre
WWE Superstar, (World Wrestling Entertainment) WWE -
Eddie Barbanell
Actor & Comedian -
Elena Delle Donne
Olympic Champion, Basketball, WNBA Legend -
Erika Ender
Singer/Songwriter, TV Celebrity, Producer and Actress -
Gabriela (Gaby) Dabrowski
Professional Tennis Player, Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) -
Hannah Teter
Olympic Champion, Snowboarder -
Hidetoshi Nakata
Former Professional Footballer, ACCA Inc -
Hussein Fahmy
Egyptian Actor -
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Olympic Champion, Fencing -
In-Kyung Kim
Professional Golfer -
Jamaal Charles
Former Football Player at National Football League (NFL) & All Pro Runningback -
Joe Haden
Former NFL Player & All Pro Defensive Back -
John C. McGinley
Actor & Advocate -
Julen Lopetegui
Legendary Soccer Goaltender & current Manager of FC Sevilla -
Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt
New York Times Bestselling Author | Actor, Producer -
Lauren Potter
Actor & Advocate -
Li Na
Former Professional Tennis Player, two time grand slam champion, The first Chinese member of the ITHF -
Mack Hollins
NFL Player, New England Patriots Wide Receiver -
Maureen McCormick
Actress, Designer, Singer, NY Times Bestselling Author -
Michael Phelps
Olympic Champion, Swimming -
Nadia Comaneci
Olympic Champion, Gymnastics, Perfect 10 Production, Inc., Special Olympics Global Ambassador -
Nicole Scherzinger
International Recording Artist & Television Personality -
Nigel Barker
Fashion Photographer, TV Personality, Producer/Filmmaker -
Padraig Harrington
Professional Golfer -
Sam Perkins
Olympic Champion, Basketball & NBA Legend -
Dr. Seun Adigun
Summer & Winter Olympian Hurdles and Bobsledding -
Tristan Thompson
NBA Champion, Cleveland Cavaliers -
Victoria Arlen
ESPN SportsCenter Host -
Vladimir 'Vanja' Grbic
Olympic Medalist, Volleyball -
Yang Yang
Olympic Champion, Speed Skating -
Yao Ming
NBA All Star & FIBA Hall of Famer and Central Board Member -
Zhou Xun
Actress, Singer & Philanthropic Environmentalist -
Zou Shiming
Olympic Champion, Boxing -
View All
As icons of success from diverse industries such as sports, music, entertainment, media, and beyond, Special Olympics Global Ambassadors generously lend their time, talent, and resources to support the Special Olympics mission. They are inspirational role models who share a belief in the power to come together, break down barriers, and foster a world of inclusion while supporting Special Olympics’ expansion of sports, health, youth, and education programs.
