Ryan Murphy Addresses Criticism of ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ (Exclusive)
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’s cast is speaking out about the controversial Netflix series.
Following Erik Menendez’s criticism of the Ryan Murphy drama—which chronicles Erik and brother Lyle Menendez’s conviction for the 1989 murders of their parents, José Menendez and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez—the show’s stars weighed in, including Cooper Koch, who portrayed Erik in the project. And as the actor noted, Erik’s negative reaction “definitely affected me and it made me feel things.”
“I sympathize with him, I empathize with him,” Cooper continued in an interview with Variety published Sept. 25. “I get it. I understand how difficult it would be to have the worst part of your life be televised for millions of people to see. It’s so exposing. I understand how he feels and I stand by him.”
When it comes down to it, the 28-year-old hoped to create a nuanced portrayal of the younger Menendez brother.
“I just really wanted to do as much research and dig really deep into myself to really portray him with integrity,” he added, “and just be as authentic as possible to support him and also to support his family and all the people who stand with him.”