Cooper Koch says he auditioned to play a Menendez brother in two other productions before Netflix series
Koch revealed in a recent interview that he previously auditioned to play one of the brothers in a Law & Order series and a Lifetime movie
By Gary Grimes
Cooper Koch, star of Monsters: Lyle and Erik Menendez, has revealed that prior to landing the role of Erik Menendez in the hit Netflix series, he had auditioned to play one of the brothers in not one, but two other TV productions.
Koch recently appeared in conversation with The White Lotus actor Sam Nivola as part of Variety‘s Actors On Actors interview series. Whilst speaking with Nivola, he admitted that he had his sights set on playing one of the brothers for years before landing his big break in last year’s series.
“My second audition ever was for the Law & Order series about them in 2017,” he revealed.
“And then I also had an audition for the Lifetime movie that they were doing the same year. I just felt like this insane cosmic, universe-y thing that was like, ‘I have to play this part,'” Koch told Nivola. “It was just that immense empathy that you feel for a person, and I had to do it’. And this immense empathy.”
Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders was released in 2017, starring Gus Halper and Miles Gaston Villanueva as Erik and Lyle respectively. Edie Falco also starred as Leslie Abramson, the defense attorney who represented the brothers.
The Lifetime movie Menendez: Blood Brothers was released that same year, starring as Nico Tortorella as Lyle and Myko Olivier as Erik. Hole frontwoman Courtney Love also starred as the brothers’ mother Kitty.
Koch also said that he felt connected to the brothers for a number of reasons, including that they both attended the same Calabasas high school. “There are all these weird parallels,” he said.
“I still care so deeply about both of them. They’re going to parole board in June; that looks very positive,” he went on to say.
The actor has been open about his support for the brothers throughout the promotional campaign for the show, saying in a written statement issued earlier this year: “It is my firm belief that the Menéndez Brothers did not receive a fair second trial and all the evidence that supported their claims of sexual, psychological, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their mother and father were not considered.”
“I always wanted the audience to sympathise with him” – Cooper Koch on playing Erik Menendez
Koch also recalled his rigorous prepation for the playing Menendez, telling Nivola he poured over recordings of the brother for months before shooting: “I listened to him every night before I went to bed. I had him on in the car when I was driving,” he recalled. “I really did want to get his voice and mannerisms, because they all further support that he was being sexually abused by his father. I know there’s so many perspectives, but I always wanted the audience to sympathise with him.”
The performer would later go on to be nominated for a Golden Globe award for his turn in the series.