Cooper Koch has steadily built a résumé that spans film and television, including turns in “They/Them” and “Swallowed,” but it is his work as Erik Menendez in Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” that has vaulted him into the awards spotlight. Koch earned his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, a recognition that cements him as one of the most talked about young actors of the moment.
The Ryan Murphy produced series, the second installment in his “Monster” anthology, revisits the infamous Menendez case of the 1990s with a cast that includes Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez, Nicholas Chavez as Lyle, Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson, and Javier Bardem as patriarch José Menendez. With eleven Emmy nominations overall, the show has been embraced not only as a compelling true-crime drama but also as a cultural reset, pushing viewers to reconsider a story many thought they understood.
For Koch, that reassessment begins with empathy. The actor has spoken openly about the profound connection he felt to Erik, describing a shared sense of shame and a drive to understand the deeper reasons behind choices that the media once flattened into headlines. His portrayal is unflinching yet tender, revealing Erik’s fragility and quiet resilience in a way that makes audiences reconsider who he was beneath the tabloid narrative.
His Emmy-nominated work is anchored in Episode 5, “The Hurt Man,” an episode that unfolds largely in a single thirty-minute take. Koch’s performance captures the weight of trauma and the vulnerability of a young man consumed by years of abuse, creating a portrait that is harrowing and illuminating in equal measure. It is the sort of showcase that defines an actor’s career.
That work has also taken on resonance beyond the screen. Koch has developed a personal rapport with both Erik and Lyle Menendez, even receiving messages of gratitude from them on the day nominations were announced. “Emmy nomination or not, I hope that from watching the show people understand more how deep trauma can go,” Koch shared. With their first parole hearings set to begin August 21, his public empathy adds another dimension to his portrayal, underscoring how deeply he engaged with their personal stories.
Cooper Koch spoke to Awards Focus about carrying Erik Menendez day-to-day, the emotional toll of embodying such trauma, and the surprising ways the series has changed the cultural conversation around a case that once seemed settled.
Awards Focus: I read that you had auditioned for a couple of the previous Menendez brothers series before auditioning for this project. How much did you know about the Menendez brothers and their story? Did you ever hear of the Menendez brothers while growing up?
Cooper Koch: I was not aware growing up about the story at all. I found out when I got the audition for the “Law and Order” series in 2017. So that’s, I guess, eight years now that I’ve known about it.
AF: And the fact that you auditioned for multiple projects, did you form a connection to the material then and want to continue pursuing it, or did people just see you as a fit and eventually the timing lined up?
Koch: I don’t think it was as straightforward as that. I definitely developed a very deep connection to Erik and to both of them when I was auditioning back then. But it wasn’t like people were saying, we’ve got to find a way for you to do this. I think every time you don’t get a job, you have to let it go. So I just did that, and then it just so happened that it came back around eight years later.
AF: Going back to those first auditions, what was your level of exposure to Erik or Lyle at that point?
Koch: I had Robert Rand’s book. I had clips and some videos from the trial. I had Tammy’s [Menendez] book that she wrote. I think maybe there was a documentary at that time. I don’t remember. But that was all the material I had to form my opinion or point of view on the story.
AF: What specifically intrigued you about playing Erik? And had you always auditioned for Erik, or for both brothers?
Koch: I didn’t really have a choice. I was always auditioning for Erik. I think I understand shame in a really profound way, and that’s what connected me to him. He has dealt with a significant amount of shame, like a weight of a thousand elephants on his shoulders, not only for what he did but for what was happening to him his entire life since the age of six.
I really felt for him. Obviously I haven’t been in his circumstances, but I understood him in a weird, cosmic, spiritual way. We both grew up in Calabasas and Woodland Hills. My dad went to Beverly Hills High School, and so did he. There were a lot of similarities that made me feel like I understood who he was. It wasn’t just intrigue at playing the role. I wanted to tell his story and help people understand why this happened, not just assume it was rich kids killing their parents for money. It’s much deeper than that, and I want people to understand the story behind the story.
AF: Everything you’re saying resonates because I grew up with this story. For years I only thought of the Menendez brothers as monsters, because that’s what the media presented. What choices helped you anchor Erik as a human being rather than just a headline? Were you able to meet him in person before filming?
Koch: I didn’t get the chance to meet him or talk to him before the show, but I implemented all kinds of behavioral and speech choices. I wanted to sound like him because I wanted to do an accurate portrayal. He says “um” a lot, he stutters, his mouth is very tight, his jaw is tense, his shoulders are always forward. He’s always kind of hiding.
All of that showed he was being sexually abused by his father and mother and had endured trauma since a very young age. I wanted to have visceral reactions to small things, to show his hypervigilance. Those choices supported the fact that this was happening to him, that he wasn’t just a cold-blooded monster. And people forget he was 18. People say they were adults, but when you think of an 18-year-old today, you don’t think of them as an adult, especially not if they’ve lived through years of abuse by the people they should have trusted most.
AF: The show depicts Lyle as perhaps the instigator, but their fates have always been linked. Do you think Erik should have been treated differently?
Koch: I think because of the Rashomon approach, showing perspectives from the brothers, the media, Dominick [Dunne], the parents, there was a generalized perspective that Lyle was the more cold-blooded one. The show played into that, but that’s not the truth. Lyle is not the reason everything happened while Erik is innocent.
They had shared experiences in their family dynamics, while also having different ones. Erik was the younger brother. Lyle was the older brother, the Alpha, the firstborn son, carrying that weight every day, proving to his father that he would be the matriarch. He didn’t have room to hide or be shy. He had to be the leader. That’s why people see him that way. But they were in the same boat. They did that together, and they’re both at fault. But they were also both victims of massive trauma and abuse.
AFs: Let’s talk about your process. In Episode 5 , “The Hurt Man”, you have essentially a 30-minute oner that’s incredibly difficult to watch. Did carrying Erik day-to-day take a psychological toll? How did you decompress?
Koch: It definitely did, especially in the beginning. I remember one time after a scene in episode three, the last scene where Erik finally tells Leslie [Abramson] the truth, I broke down in between setups. Ari had to hold me, and Paris [Barclay], our director, came in. It was very intense.
But I got better at stepping in and stepping out, being Erik and then being Cooper, separating the two. If I felt the weight of something and was exhausted by the emotions, I knew I was doing my job. That made me feel at the end of the day like I had done right by Erik. I was nervous about scenes, but if I got through them. I could go to bed and do it again the next day.
AF: How about the cast dynamics? Everyone was carrying heavy material. How did you support each other?
Koch: I think the person I can speak to the most about that is Ari. She really sort of became not only my lawyer and defender but my best friend. We got really close. She was so supportive and worked so hard. When I was across from her, she became Leslie. It was like magic. She transformed into her and did unbelievable research and work. She cared so much, and that made my job easier. Because as much as I had studied Eric, I had also studied Leslie from watching the trials. So she fueled me emotionally. She became my friend and therapist. We supported each other, and that relationship was really special. We’ll be friends for a very long time.
AF: Have you spoken to Erik or Lyle since the show aired? How have they reacted?
Koch: Lyle watched Episode 5 a while ago and sent me a really nice message. That was rewarding and special. I don’t think they’ve seen everything, and I’m not sure exactly what they’ve watched. But the last time I spoke with them was on the day of the Emmy nominations.
I talked to Lyle in the morning, he was congratulatory and sweet and even funny. I talked to Erik later that night. We have a great relationship at this point. Things were leading in the right direction regardless, but I think the show gave them an extra push. For that I’m grateful. I hope for the best on Thursday and Friday, and I’m crossing my fingers, sending them positive vibes.
AF: Last question. Looking back now, what do you hope audiences take away from your Emmy-nominated performance that might challenge or expand the way they view Erik Menendez?
Koch: Emmy nomination or not, I hope that from watching the show people understand more how deep trauma can go. When someone makes a really bad choice, it’s not always for the reasons the media says. There’s a lot going on, and you can’t just believe everything you see on Twitter or TikTok or YouTube. You have to do your research. You have to remain open. That’s something Leslie said in her opening statements, to be open to the possibility that there’s something deeper that will be hard to hear, but that is the truth.
AF: Thank you so much, and good luck at the Emmys. It’s well deserved.
Koch: Thank you so much.