Actor plays Erik Menendez in ‘Monsters’ and defended a new trial for the brothers convicted of planning and carrying out their parents’ murder
Launched by Netflix last week, the series Monsters: Menendez Brothers: Parent Killers brought to light the story of the brothers Lyle and Erikconvicted of planning and carrying out the murder of their own family members in the 1990s.
The production was criticized by Erik Menendez himself, who is played by Cooper Koch. However, the actor revealed that the two connected during a prison visit (via Variety).
According to Koch, the first contact he had with Erik was by phone the night before the series premiered.
I had a really good conversation with him and told him that I believe in him and that I did everything I could as an actor to defend him and portray him as authentically as possible, and that I think the show does a great job of representing him.” , said the actor.
Days later, Koch and the businesswoman kim kardashian They personally went to the detention center where the brothers are serving life sentences.
He said he discussed criticism of the production with Erik. “I told him it makes sense that he feels this way. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have the worst part of your life, something so traumatic and tragic, televised for millions of people to see in a dramatized Hollywood way.”
Koch also said that Erik was the first person he saw when they entered the prison gym and praised the brothers’ conduct.
We just looked at each other and immediately hugged. He was so kind. Lyle too, I got to hug them both and just be in their presence. They are such upstanding individuals. They did so much work in the prison. Erik teaches meditation classes and they are working on a project to improve the prison’s green space. It was just incredible.”
The actor even came out in defense of his brothers. He voiced the argument that they had suffered physical, psychological and sexual abuse from their parents and stated that Lyle and Erik deserve a new trial.
They committed the crime when they were 18 and 21, and at the time, it was very difficult for people to believe that sexual abuse between men could occur, especially with a father and son. It was very difficult for people to understand that the story they were telling was true, and this theory that they killed their parents for money is just crazy. Now, after 35 years, we have much more evidence of child sexual abuse and I think they deserve to be tried again.”
Cooper Koch also said he hoped the brothers would be released on parole and wished “they have an incredible rest of their lives.”
Finally, the actor mentioned that he and Erik connected over spirituality. “I always knew I wanted to tell them that I believe in them and that I want to be an advocate for them. So when it happened, it felt strangely normal, like I already knew them because I had watched them for so long, and seen and heard them talk for hours and hours and hours.”
Despite the praise, Koch realized he was talking about two men who are in prison for life for the murder of their parents. “I know it doesn’t make sense. It’s pretty wild. Sitting here and talking to you about this, it seems so insane,” he told Variety.
Source: Rollingstone
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