‘Monsters’ Stars Exploring Menendez Brothers Murders

The cast and crew of the latest Netflix series Monsters installment, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storygathered in Hollywood on Monday evening for the series’ Los Angeles premiere.

From Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story tells the famous case of real-life brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 of the murder of their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. It is the second story in Monsters series after success Dahmer (starring Evan Peters), and a third part has just been announced, featuring serial killer Ed Gein, played by Charlie Hunnam.

The first trailer was released earlier this month, focusing on a portrait of a “perfect” family that has begun to crack, and alludes to Lyle and Erik’s claims that they were sexually abused for years by their father, José.

“One of the interesting things about this show is that it tells the story of the Menendez brothers from so many different perspectives,” said Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who plays Lyle Menendez. Hollywood Reporter on the carpet. “It’s a very accurate way to tell the story because we’re able to understand so many different points of view. It allows everyone to make their own interpretation at the end of the day,” he added, noting that he thinks that’s a great thing.

Cooper Koch, who plays Chavez’s brother, Erik Menendez, found that the role gave him “a new appreciation for my family and my parents and the way they raised me and treated me. It really helped me empathize with Erik and understand that this was something he didn’t get and didn’t have.”

The cast included several members, including Nathan Lane, who played the role of the deceased Vanity fair reporter Dominick Dunne — said working on the show has broadened their understanding of the high-profile case. “I can’t say I followed it that closely, but when you start looking at the court testimony or all the other research about what went on in their home, it’s pretty disturbing,” Lane said.

“I think at first it was easy for people to think that these two spoiled rich kids would kill their parents for money, for an inheritance, but it’s much more complicated than that,” he continued. “It doesn’t change the fact that they committed this horrible act, but I think maybe you start to understand what led up to it.”

Lane praised Koch and Chavez for their “incredible” performances. He also paid tribute to Javier Bardem, who plays José Menendez and serves as an executive producer on the project.

Bardem noted that research is key when playing a real person, but there weren’t many audio or video clips of José Menendez. “So I let the great team of Ryan Murphy, the creator, and Ian (Brennan), the writer, do the work for me,” he said. Bardem — with Chloë Sevigny playing his wife Kitty — worked closely with both in his role as executive producer.

“They forced me into a lot of the decision-making, and I was very grateful for that, in the sense that I felt so protected,” he said, adding that he felt Murphy and Brennan took his perspective into account.

“I’m not a nuisance,” Bardem joked. “I wasn’t asking for much.”

The 10-episode season will be released on Netflix on Thursday, making it the second Ryan Murphy-produced series to premiere this week following Tuesday’s premiere American Sports History: Aaron Hernandez.