Even though it didn’t win any prizes, the night was significant because it helped rekindle interest in the murder case of Erik and Lyle Menéndez.
on Sunday, January 5th, for Cooper’s Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Best Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Motion Picture Koch’s portrayal of Erik and Javier Bardem’s portrayal of José Menendez, who won Best Male Supporting Actor — Television. Bardem to Tadanobu Asano from Shōgun, Koch lost to Colin Farrell’s Penguin, and Baby Reindeer defeated Monsters.
Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Koch) were arrested in 1990 for the murder of their parents, José (Bardem) and Kitty (Chloë Sevigny). Season 2 of the popular Netflix series premiered in September. Drawing inspiration from the trial’s video and the interviews that followed, as well as the lives of the siblings before and after they were given life sentences without the possibility of release for shooting their parents.
In December 2024, Koch, 28, spoke to GQ Australia about his commitment to the part, saying, “I got the audition and I watched the trial videos for the first time.” I instantly believed them because I was so moved. At that point, I noticed all the parallels and became completely engrossed in the case and their narrative.
Prior to Monsters, Koch remembered trying out for the role of Erik in two other well-known films, saying, “I was taping and taping, auditioning and auditioning, for seven years.” Then, at last, you obtain the one that should occur.
Both reviewers and viewers praised episodes 4 and 5 for implying that they were having a sexual connection.
Erik, now 53, posted a comment on Lyle’s Facebook page in September that stated, “I thought we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.” “I can only assume that they did this on purpose. I say this with sadness because I don’t think Ryan Murphy could be this innocent and clueless about the reality of our life and still do this without malicious intent.
Erik went on to say, “It saddens me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back in time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women.” Over the past 20 years, innumerable courageous victims have boldly spoken out, overcome their personal guilt, and disrupted and exposed those terrible lies. Murphy now uses depressing defamation and cruel and horrifying character depictions of Lyle and me to create his terrible story. Is the truth insufficient?
The Koch has supported Erik, even though creator Ryan Murphy has stood by him.
Koch told GQ last month, “I’m really hopeful that we can right that injustice and heal what has been such a long, devastating trauma.” “I’m really happy if I had anything to do with it. However, there are numerous individuals who are genuinely assisting behind the scenes.
After the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office suggested a resentencing from Monsters and Netflix’s documentary The Menéndez Brothers, Erik and Lyle are presently awaiting their next court hearing.
