has premiered on Netflix, and while some viewers are understandably disturbed by the subject matter, there is one thing people love about the series – its two leading stars . Nicholas and Cooper star as Lyle and Erik Menendez, respectively, in the Ryan Murphy anthology series. Whether you've already started watching the gripping series on Netflix or have added it to your queue for weekend viewing, you likely have some questions.
So, here's what you need to know about the Menendez brothers and the actors who play them. and Ian Brennan tackle the story of the brothers who fatally shot their parents, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez, at close range in their Beverly Hills mansion. While police initially suspected the mob's involvement due to the gruesome nature of the murders, the brothers - who were 21 and 18 at the time - told police they found their parents shot dead at home.
However, the police received a tip-off about the brothers' involvement when Judalon Smyth, the mistress of Erik's psychologist, Jerome Oziel, revealed there were audiotapes of Erik confessing to the murders during his therapy sessions. Following the brothers' arrest for first-degree murder, there was a highly publicised legal battle involving two juries, two trials, and one mistrial. Lyle and Erik's legal team argued that the brothers killed their parents in self-defence and they both testified that their mother and father abused them.
The brothers claimed that they killed their parents out of fear their parents would kill them after they threatened to expose their years of sexual abuse. Erik and Lyle Menendez are serving their life sentences in two separate Californian prisons. They are not eligible for parole.
Nicolas Chavez (also known as Nicolas Alexander Chavez) is 25 years old and may be known to fans as a star of General Hospital. The actor even won a Daytime Emmy in 2022 for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series for his role on the show. Following his performance in Monsters, Nicolas will continue his work with Ryan Murphy with a series regular role in the new horror series Grotesquerie as Father Charlie.
Speaking about his transformation into Lyle Menendez, Nicholas told he prepared "thoroughly". "There's a lot of information, and also a lot of information that we don't have, and then that's your job as an artist," he said. Nicholas is dating actress Victoria Abbott.
Cooper is 28 years old and plays Erik, the elder Menendez brother. The star has appeared in several projects including They/Them, Swallowed and A New York Christmas Wedding. His first acting job was at the age of 11 in the Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins film Fracture.
Before getting into acting full-time, the star worked as a model. Cooper has a twin brother named Payton, and while he's not an actor, he's still in the biz as a film editor. Speaking about getting into Erik's shoes for Monsters, Cooper told , "I turned my trailer into Erik’s room, so I had clothes everywhere, and I had pictures of him on the wall, pictures of me too.
" "I looked at videos of me when I was really young, and I watched how my parents treated me, which gave me a level of gratitude for my family and my parents. I listened to [Erik] and watched him religiously. And I had my music, I had all different kinds of journals, all different kinds of things to help me really feel like him and be him.
" While there are , fans have been quick to praise Nicholas and Cooper for their performances, with many saying they're award-winning worthy. "Cooper Koch's performance as Erik Menendez in #MonstersNetflix, as someone who has watched the trials, is INSANE," one user said. "His mannerisms, the way he talks.
Incredible. 'The Hurt Man' is my favourite episode so far. Still not entirely accurate, but very effective.
" "Me watching Cooper Koch perform what's almost like a 20 minute monolog in ep 5 and embodying Erik Menendez like he invoked the spirit," another said. ryan murphy's team knows how to choose their cast very well. i am shocked with the performances of nicholas alexander chavez and cooper koch, where they are amazing in their roles — l̶i̶m̶a̶ ̶s̶t̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶ (@favdickinson) episode five should be the episode that gets cooper koch an emmy or at least an emmy nomination.
he really is tearing this role out of the frame, just excellent acting all around from him and ari graynor — ♡ (@laacolee) casting agents getting on the phone with nicholas chavez and cooper koch after seeing monsters: the lyle and erik menendez story. these two men are stars in the making!!!! they are about to take hollywood by storm. their acting is stellar — ♡ (@laacolee) "NAC [Nicholas Chavez] just got his Emmy reel with episode 4 of #MonstersNetflix," a third said of Nicholas' performance.
"Lyle giving the recount of the sexual abuse is so tragically layered & even when I researched the actual story, I believed it then & I believe it now. But it's NAC so what do we [General Hospital fans] expect? Our boy DELIVERS." "Ryan Murphy's team knows how to choose their cast very well," someone else wrote.
"I am shocked with the performances of Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch...
they are amazing in their roles." "I really really hope NAC & Coop's performances (because they are stellar) are not overshadowed by what is blatantly happening here," another said. "I get that every writer has a 'watermark' they put on their work but this Playgirl incestuous element might hurt the show.
" Javier Bardem's performance was also praised, with one user writing, "Javier Bardem sure as hell knows how to play a disturbing character. His aura within this show is so dark.".
