Erik Menendez told Cooper Koch that he “did a great job” playing him in Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. Koch said so. The series centers on the murder of two sons, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. Criticism of alleged inaccuracies.
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Actor Cooper Koch said he was told he thought Eric Menendez would do a “great job” playing him in Netflix’s true crime series Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. Despite Menendez previously criticizing the show for alleged inaccuracies.
The series, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, follows Eric and his brother Lyle Menendez, who shot and killed their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989.
Koch, who plays Eric, told The Hollywood Reporter that he met the Menendez brothers during a prison visit arranged by Kim Kardashian last week.
Koch said he and Eric recognized each other almost immediately when they visited Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, where the brothers are serving life sentences.
“We were walking through the (prison) gym, and the first person I saw was Eric. And we made eye contact, and he smiled, I smiled, and we… and hugged each other,” Koch said. “And it was really, really powerful and emotional. It was an amazing experience.”
The actor said Eric and his brother, who was present, were “very nice” and “very normal.”
Eric told Koch that he had not seen the series yet, but praised Koch’s performance.
“One of the first things Eric said was, ‘I know you’re doing great. You did a great job in episode five (‘Wounded Man’), so I’m going to watch it. It’s just, you know, it’s difficult,” Koch said.
Cooper Koch as Eric Menendez and Nicolas Chavez as Lyle Menendez. Miles Crist/Netflix
In the fifth episode of the show, Eric opens up about the sexual and emotional abuse he suffered from his father. As the brothers claimed in a high-profile trial, they killed their parents in self-defense after being sexually abused by their father for years.
“I talked to him about it, and it was insane to me,” Koch said.
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As THR reported, Koch’s visit with the Menendez brothers was arranged by Kardashian, who is pursuing a law degree and has advocated for criminal justice reform.
According to THR, Kardashian FaceTimed Cork several days before the visit took place to set up the visit.
Eric Menendez in Los Angeles in 1994. Ted Soki/Sigma/Getty Images
As Business Insider previously reported, “The Story of Lyle and Eric Menendez” takes a dramatic look at the brothers’ personal lives and streamlines some of the legal proceedings to suit the limited series.
After the series was released, Eric’s wife, Tammy Menendez, issued a statement on X on behalf of her husband, saying the show “creates a caricature of Lyle that is rooted in horrifying and blatant lies.” criticized.
Murphy responded to Eric’s criticism in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“I think it’s interesting that he made the statement without watching the show,” he said, adding, “It’s really, really hard to watch your life on screen if that’s your life.” That’s it,” he added.
But earlier this week, Tammy released an additional statement regarding X, saying it came from the Menendez family.
“Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric is a horrifying, gross, anachronistic, episodic nightmare that is not only full of untruths and outright falsehoods, but also “Ignoring revelations of his innocence,” the magazine said.
According to Koch, he and Eric talked about the backlash the show received over certain creative decisions.
“I talked to him about what he said,” Koch told THR. “And, you know, I told him I understand where he’s coming from. I feel for him.”
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to have the worst parts of my life fictionalized and dramatized and portrayed on TV. So I just told him I support him. ” he continued. “I understand how that feels and that it’s really difficult.”
